Well, guys, the results are in. And I have to say... This show was a BIKINI BLAST!
I'm extremely proud of the GlamFit Team. We put a great deal of dedication into our work, and it's because of the team’s time and effort that makes the end product so special. Seeing you wear our creations means a lot to us.
That is why I have decided to write the most comprehensive and long-winded wrap up that you might ever come across. There will be facts, figures and possibly other pieces of information that you didn't know you needed to know, some of which are pretty amazing and will make you realise there's more to these bikinis than you could have ever imagined.
The big question is….
Is a GlamFit Bikini worth it? The time? The effort? The cost?
Firstly, pre-production, planning, creating and preparing for your couture bikini, which to me, is the most exciting part of your prep. The next step is to submit your design ideas via our website and we can use the images to sketch a design we think will be perfect for you.
If there are any specific design elements that you want to include, please include these in the notes. It could be a specific colour, style, choker or shoulder piece that you want. The clearer and more concise you can be with your design enquiry the easier and faster the entire process will be. If there is anything you are unsure about don’t worry. Our design team can offer advice as we have many unique ideas.
We love the design process and spend on average 2-4 hours per couture bikini designing, researching, sketching & liaising with you.
Once all of these details have been submitted and payment has been made, we will start production on your bikini.
It's production time baby!!
We need to ensure we have everything in stock and ready to go to ensure your bikini comes to life as planned.
Once payment is made we head to our suppliers and order all the necessary materials and rhinestones. We also gather all your measurements and put the base bikini into production. Ordering materials and selecting the correct fabric and size for your design takes around an hour. These instructions are then passed to a team member that creates the base bikini from scratch. It takes around 1.5 hours to cut and sew a base bikini.
Can you believe it? We're already up to 6.5 hours of labour and we have barely started!!
Once the base bikini is made and all the materials have arrived we start bringing the design to life. We pin the lace and materials onto the base bikini and select all the crystal colours, sizes, and styles that will be used. As founder-CEO of GlamFit, I take my responsibility to our customers very seriously. Therefore, I sketch my bikinis as accurately as possible in the fabrics, lace and colours I plan to use. I have found over the years this has also helped my team ensure the bikini is accurate to your expectations. This pre-production step takes around 1-2 hours.
Now it is time to start adding the crystals. On average there are around 2000-4000 small rhinestones (ss16 & ss20 to those who know their stone sizes) and around 1200-3000 larger teardrop and navette shaped stones. ALL... Yes, all of these stones are individually hand placed. This is the part that takes the most amount of time. On average we spend 10-15 hours per bikini hand stitching lace and hand glueing stones. This is where no corners are cut. No stones unturned. There is no compromise and that is why every Glamfit piece is a work of art.
Ok now the hours are starting to add up. A total of 23.5 hours have been spent on your bikini so far.
Now your bikini is complete!!
As part of your enquiry you have the option to have a bikini reveal call. When the bikini is finished we will reach out to you to book. This is a quick 15 min call to show you your bikini via zoom. It's my favourite part, when I get to see the excitement on your face seeing your bikini for the first time. We take your feedback (if any) on board and make any changes to the design. We generally get the design spot on and there is only maybe 1 hour of work required to ensure it is perfect!
The team then photographs and videos each bikini. This takes up to an hour to capture and edit per bikini. We then use these images and footage in the amazing posts you see on all our social channels.
Ok, the time has come for us to size and dispatch your order. We are around 4 weeks out from your competition and have reached out to you via email to send through your updated measurements. We use these measurements to size your bikini. We allow 15-20 mins per bikini to finalise the sizing.
The next step is dispatch. We carefully pack your GlamFit Bikini in our Ultimate Carry Case to ensure it is kept safe during transit.
We are now up to 26 hours.
But don't forget I haven't added any time spent replying to your email enquiries about a possible change of colour or change in design, keeping you up to date with production or answering small questions about what to expect when the bikini arrives/final fittings. Depending upon the client this can be 10 mins or 5 hours...hahaha. For the sake of this blog lets say we spend around 2.5 hours talking over email during the entire production process.
Delivery Day is here!!!
You race home from work/gym and quickly put your bikini on, the design is perfect! but the fit needs a little tweaking.
#1. DO NOT PANIC!
#2. Kindly email me, NO DM's as that goes to my general customer service team. It’s best to email your designer directly for help. There has yet to be a bikini we can't fix, most of the time it is a small alteration here and there to ensure it is absolutely perfect.
The team and I travel to every WBFF Australia show and will be there in the week leading up to your show to perform any alterations that are required. The fittings are a quick 15 min consult and we will perform any alterations right away for you.
LAST but not LEAST. The team and I are there backstage on the day to offer any help you need with your bikini. We LOVE the WBFF and we are a family, it is like hanging out with old friends. We soak up the excitement of the day and ride high. There is honestly no other show like it!
Here are the final stats, the information you never asked for but I felt obliged to share.
Average 30 hours labour, this includes all customer service and production from start to finish.
3200-7000 rhinestones of varying shapes, sizes and colours. Not to mention the lycra, bra cups, clips, clasps, clear straps, trimming and thread. All of which add up to a substantial amount of $$$.
The team and I currently create on average 50 bikinis per show, however for the most recent Oct 2022 show we did over 70!!
Let's do the maths...
30 hours x 70 bikinis = 2100 hours
An average of 5000 rhinestones x 70 bikinis = 350,000 rhinestones
HOLY SHIT!!!
That's a lot of time, effort, love and SPARKLE
You get all this for AU$1500-$2000. If you ask me, that's pretty good value for money.
So remember...
When you are buying a GlamFit Bikini you are purchasing more than just a bikini. You are purchasing years of dedication to our craft and industry, unmatched knowledge and experience, and a perfectionist's eye for detail.