When Lois Robbins was told by her dermatologist that she had to stay out of the sun, the outdoor-loving actress simply knew there was a better solution; and if she couldn’t find it, she’d create it herself. The result? WATSKIN, a fashion line of protective sunwear for active living. “Not being in the sun was not optional for me,” I searched high and low for sophisticated, comfortable, and protective sunwear. I couldn’t find anything that fit that description,” she recently and exclusively told the outlet GRAZIA USA.
After calling a friend with a sewing machine, Robbins explained to her what she needed and wanted – and a fashion brand was born. Along the way, the actress-turned-fashion designer learned as she went along. She says, “The research that I did was quite unexpected. I started out making the catsuits and skirts for myself. I sourced UPF 50 fabric, which was a tremendous learning curve.”
Making plenty of mistakes along the way, it took about two years of research, trial and error before she felt like she had a product she was proud of and satisfied her needs. “I was wearing the ensembles everywhere I went and started getting stopped by people wanting to know where I bought my outfit and how they could get one.” Robbins says the greatest discovery for her was realizing that she had designed something that other people wanted for themselves. She was confident then that she was on the verge of building a business.
WATSKIN is different from other brands in many ways. “The versatility of the brand is what separates us from everyone else. WATSKIN is meant to be worn in and out of the water. It can be used as a layering piece, and we can translate into all seasons. You can put it on in the morning, go to yoga, go for a run, jump in the water, it dries in 10 minutes, throw your skirt on and go meet a friend for lunch! Or, as I’ve been doing since the summer ended, I throw on my catsuit with my boots and a big sweater or leather jacket and I’m off for the day. The comfort, style and sensuality of the fabric feels great and looks great. And our zipper is so identifiably WATSKIN!” Robbins boasts.
While she is keeping future plans under wraps for now, the actress-turned-designer is focused on creating new fabrics and styles for the brand. Looking ahead, her dream is to make WATSKIN a household name. That sure sounds like one sunny, fashionable prospect.
Shop the line HERE.
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