Leia’s objective for this collection is to fill a market niche and provide classy and contemporary swimwear designs for the modern, modest woman. The blend of striking, abstract patterns and solid colorways embraces different cultures across the world resulting in unique designs. All pieces are designed and made in Los Angeles, California.
The German-born designer graduated in 2012 from FH Kaiserslautern, Germany with a Bachelor’s in Textile Engineering. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2014, Michèle worked in Quality Assurance for Hohenstein Institute, a company renowned in Germany for specializing in textile testing. In 2017, she was inspired by her Muslim friends to start designing a hijab-friendly activewear line and decided to create Leia. Michèle’s first line for Leia combines her technical knowledge about fabrics with her passion for innovative design.