The 'Trikini' Is a Bikini with a Matching Face Mask — and Kelly Ripa Is a Fan
One designer spotted a hole in the fashion industry amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) — and she's reaping the rewards.
Tiziana Scaramuzzo, owner of the Italian brand Elexa Beachwear, recently launched three-piece swimsuits (complete with a bikini top, bottom and a water-proof face mask) to keep the spirit of summer alive, despite social distancing restrictions.
According to the Daily Mail, Scaramuzzo told Italian news outlet Centropagina that the idea for her pandemic-safe swimwear “was born joking with the family.”
"The idea was born in the house during quarantine to take photos with my children," she said. "We didn't think it would be this successful."
Scaramuzzo also added that their designs are currently only for sale in Italy and not able to be shipped internationally.
But the “trikini” sets quickly went viral after she posted photos of her daughter modeling them on Facebook — now, the style is selling out at her store in Senigallia, Italy, Daily Mail reports.
Insidefoto / BACKGRID
The designer went on to explain that, although her business suffered an economic blow when her supplier was forced to shut down due to the virus, she’s encouraged by the fact that her inventive three-piece sets have become so popular.
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And even Kelly Ripa is a fan!
During Monday's at-home episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, the talk show host and her husband Mark Consuelos (who's filling in for Ryan Seacrest) talked about the viral swim set.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Consuelos, 49, said. His wife, also 49, agreed: “I think it’s a great idea too."
"That way we maybe can feel less anxious about going to the beach," Ripa added. "Maybe."
Earlier this month, Italy and Spain, two of Europe's hardest-hit countries amid the pandemic, started easing lockdown restrictions.
Residents of both European countries were photographed enjoying the nice weather and outdoors as government officials began to lift strict stay-at-home orders after seeing a decrease in the number of deaths and cases over the last few weeks.
MARCO SABADIN/AFP via Getty Venice, Italy
In Italy, residents were finally allowed to enjoy the outdoors and visit relatives as long as they maintain physical distance from others. Photos showed Italians once again gathering in places like Venice's St. Mark's Square and waiting outside local shops for an espresso, The Guardian reported.
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“I literally haven’t been out of the house,” Rina Sondhi, who lives in Orvieto told the outlet on May 4. “The biggest shock for me was the fresh air. Today I feel liberated, but with caution — that’s the important thing, we can have the freedom but we must be really careful.”
MARCO SABADIN/AFP via Getty Saint Marks Square, Venice
The lifting of restrictions is the country's "Phase 2" of returning to normal life after the pandemic, during which almost 4 million Italians returned to work for the first time since the outbreak.
In its peak, Italy reported over 6,550 daily new cases of the virus, but on Sunday it recorded 1,389, BI reported. The country has seen their number of cases declining since late March.
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