One of the first things you’ll do once you land in Hawaii (or any tropical honeymoon spot) is to shop for a couple of new bathing suits. When I moved to the island of Maui, I learned quickly that local girls wear substantially smaller swimsuits! My surfer beau at the time—now my husband—treated me to my first “real” bikini. It may sound odd, but the bigger the bikini bottom, the bigger your buns can look. Iwalani Isbell, owner of Pualani Hawaii, gave me my first proper bikini fitting and explained this very fact. For the Summer issue, we scoured Hawaii designers’ collections along with a few from Australia and California to bring you the hottest new styles. I have to say this may have been my all-time favorite shoot aboard the Trilogy catamaran. We had a blast—whales were breaching, the sun was shining and the water was a crystal blue sheet of glass. It was heavenly! Here are some shots from that day… did I mention we spent the morning at Kapalua Spa? I wish every work day was like this. xo ~robyn

(Photos by the oh-so-talented Joanna Tano, whose image was featured on our cover this issue; model Justine Edwards-Miguel; hair by Dan Sanchez; makeup by Jessica Waite)

Sources from top, left to right: Letarte, Sea Folly, SG Designs, Letarte, Sea Folly, SG Designs, Sea Folly; scarves by Hermès; hats by Tommy Bahama; sunglasses by Marc Jacobs and Tommy Bahama

Heading into Labor Day weekend, I thought I would do a follow up post in case you’re looking for a stylish new swim suit and cover up. I’m loving Letarte’s new collection. Designer Lisa Cabrinha is a Maui girl whose signature prints reflect her island life. She really has a flair for the details, adding intricate “jewelry” to the bikinis like little sea horses and starfish and sophisticated embroidery to her cover ups. Sable Garcia is another up and coming bikini designer and fellow Maui girl. She is the maestro behind SG Designs (her bikini is the hot pink triangle top pictured in the standing shot below). Her suits are really flattering—not overly-elasticized like some bikini bottoms. For our shoot, Dan Sanchez styled Justine’s hair, giving her beautiful beach waves, and makeup artist Jessica Waite applied a sun-kissed look for the sail aboard the Trilogy. Makes me want to grab my own bikini and head over to Lanai this weekend!   xo ~robyn