For entrepreneur Gisele Gardner, her business journey was unexpected. Originally moving from Brazil to Kaua’i in the late ‘90s to study Marine Biology, she found herself missing the Brazilian bikinis she grew up with in Rio de Janeiro. Her mother would send her small boxes of bikinis every other month, but as her friends admired them, those boxes soon arrived monthly. The demand grew so much that the company her mother bought from offered Gisele a role as their Hawai’i rep, ultimately enabling her to open The Bikini Room.

Now, 25 years later, The Bikini Room carries its own label, featuring unique designs and prints in eco-friendly fabrics. The line includes dresses, pants, one-pieces, and separates, all made from silky, soft lycra, designed in Hawai’i, and crafted in Rio de Janeiro—keeping Gisele’s original connection alive from the start.