Storm Reid on the Swimsuit She 'Selfishly' Wanted to Include in All Her ArashiBlu Collections (Exclusive)
The actress has been partnering with PacSun for the last two years on her swim collab and just dropped her final set of suits
With every one of Storm Reid’s ArashiBlu collections, she put a little piece of herself into her creations.
Not only did the Euphoria star try each prototype on for fit before it went into production over the past two years of her working relationship with PacSun, but she helped select the fabrics and design the silhouettes and made sure her favorite color found its way into each drop.
“Selfishly I always try to add a blue swimsuit to each collection, because blue — baby blue — is my favorite color,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively while discussing her final collaboration with the brand. “Any of the blue bathing suits are automatically my favorites, and I try to make those extra special.”
Related: Storm Reid on Designing Empowering Swimwear, 'Euphoria' Season 2 and Working with Idris Elba
Indeed there is a new blue bikini in the latest Storm Reid x PacSun collection, her sixth and final drop, with 12 new swimwear looks for the retailer. Prices start at $29.95 and sizes range from XXS to XL. Each collection with the brand has felt like its own little capsule, and Reid says that for this last one, she took a pared-down approach, keeping everything on the simple side.
“With our other collections, we added hardware and did brighter colors, and I think for our last collection we just wanted to go a little bit more of the simple route, but still have very cute cuts for the bathing suits,” Reid, 20, says. “We have the ribbed pink one, which is one of my favorites, or even the patterned one, which is a little busy, but still the colors are muted and very minimalistic.”
Working in swimwear felt like the right move for Reid, she says, because not only is she a creative person, but she’s always loved collecting bathing suits and rocking them. As a summer baby (she was born July 1), she loves the sun and is quick to admit that her collection of suits is large — and has only gotten bigger since working with PacSun.
Related: Storm Reid Keeps a Low Profile at College: 'I'm Just Storm the Student in My Sweats'
Over her two years working on the ArashiBlu collections, Reid says she's learned a lot by being involved in the process and has been so grateful with how involved PacSun has allowed her to be. She set out to make swimsuits that not only the PacSun customers would like, but that she would want to put into her own collection.
“My goal was to create a swimsuit collection that was fashion-forward, but also accessible,” she says, adding that she wants people to feel “comfortable” in the suits she designed. “I think we achieved that with every collection and I think with every collection it only got better.”
Reid has also had her mother, Robyn Simpson, along for the ride, which she says has been a “blast.”
“She’s always there to help create ideas and tell the team where we should add something, take something away. But I am so glad I get to work with my mom, because she’s there not only for support, but to add her wisdom to whatever we’re doing,” Reid says.
That includes passing on sage advice to her daughter, which Reid shared with PEOPLE two years ago, when she started this journey. It was advice that Reid said she uses for red carpets but translates for any of those moments when she needs confidence: "You wear the clothes. The clothes don't wear you."
"It's a phrase that sounds very simple, but it's very profound," the actress said at the time. "I think my confidence really comes from my mom, and her always just empowering me and letting me know that I look beautiful and that I was wearing things for myself, not for others."
Reid has certainly taken this message to heart over the years, as she expanded on it recently while opening up about modeling her latest bikini collection for PacSun. She says that even though she looks cool and confident in the campaign shots, she doesn’t always feel that way — and that’s okay.
“I don’t always feel the most confident in my swimsuits or even in my clothes sometimes,” she admits. “But if you just feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, like wearing the right swimsuit or clothes for you, it’s always helpful. I embrace all of my feelings, and I try not to beat myself up in any situation — if I’m not feeling it today, that’s fine. Move on. We’ll try again another day. Loving yourself is a process.”
Related: Storm Reid Says Her First Kiss Was on Set with Identical Twins: 'That Was a Lot' at 9 Years Old
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This may be the conclusion of Reid’s “amazing” venture with PacSun, but she’s walking away with a lot of overwhelming feelings about how much she’s loved everything about the project. She’s helped to create dozens of versatile swimsuits — at an affordable price point — for customers who have given her so much positive feedback.
It’s a project she started as a teenager that has only fueled her love of fashion and creativity.
“It's been an amazing process to be able to collaborate with PacSun,” she says. “They were able to make my dreams come to fruition. It's a beautiful feeling to be able to create something, put it out in the world and have people appreciate it and love it."
"That's always a cool feeling when a collection drops and it sells out or girls are saying that they want this particular bathing suit that they love," she adds. "It's a blessing to be able to see those things happen. Every time a collection dropped, I just felt so grateful for the love it received.”
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