At Replica Handbag Store Club’s Meet the Founder, Francesca Aiello Talks Malibu Roots and Building Frankies Bikinis

Replica Handbag Store Club members gathered at Soho House West Hollywood’s Luckman Club for an intimate conversation with Francesca Aiello, founder of Frankies Bikinis. Hosted by Vogue’s Julia Hobbs, the early evening event brought together creatives, founders, and longtime fans of the brand to hear how one of Instagram’s most recognizable swimwear labels came to be.

The setting was appropriately chic yet relaxed: guests sipped cocktails and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres as golden hour filtered through the windows, illuminating the gallery-like space and its dreamy floral artwork. Francesca, dressed in a white eyelet mini and knee-high black leather boots, sat in conversation beneath a bold poppy painting and a serene portrait—an unexpectedly fitting backdrop for a designer who built her brand on blending boldness and softness.

Raised in Malibu, Aiello shared how growing up in a close-knit surf town shaped her aesthetic and ambitions. From a young age, she was always in a bikini—so much so that by 14, she began custom-making her own pieces. What began as a passion project soon transformed into a brand she built alongside her mother, who remains her closest collaborator to this day. They still surf together when they need to recharge.

Aiello reflected on how much of the brand’s growth came from instinct rather than strategy. She was an early adopter of Instagram, long before she realized it could be a business tool. The platform helped her create a visual world around Frankies Bikinis—one that’s since expanded into ready-to-wear, beauty, and buzzy celebrity collaborations (see: the Bella Hadid capsule collectsion, and that poncho).

The audience particularly responded to her story about spotting someone wearing one of her designs. “A couple of weeks ago, a girl walked by wearing our gingham long dress, and I said, ‘I love your dress!’” she recalled. “She replied, ‘Thank you so much, it’s Frankies,’ completely unaware I was the founder. My friend asked if I was going to tell her. I was like, ‘No! Are you crazy?’” Aiello laughed, adding that those moments take her back to the early days of the brand, when her focus was always on proving herself through the work rather than putting herself in the spotlight.

The conversation wrapped with a thoughtful Q&A from attendees, including a fellow founder who’d also built a brand alongside her mother. Aiello spoke to the importance of that kind of support system, and how much she values being able to do what she loves—on her own terms, and with the people she trusts most.