Madelyn Mejia Talks Launching Her New Mother-Son Swim Line, LEX Swimwear

Photo Credit: Christina Arza

Madelyn Mejia set out to combine two of her passions into one: fashion and motherhood. The result is a sustainable swim brand, LEX Swimwear, designed for the modern mother and son. Each piece comes as a matching mother-son set, perfect for the beach lovers that have a passion for fashion, as well as social responsibility. Utilizing the finest materials and manufactured 100-percent from Italy in eco-sustainable materials, each bold and striking piece is meant to empower the wearer with both confidence and style.

Here, we chat with Mejia about the launch of her first swimwear brand, why she chose a mother-son concept, the rise of sustainable swimwear and what’s next for the brand.

HL: Tell us about LEX Swimwear. What inspired you to create the brand?

MM: I have a son, Alexander, who is five years old and he was my inspiration and namesake for LEX. Traveling is something Alexander and I enjoy doing together and we are often accompanied by my best friend Shannel and her daughter. I’ve always enjoyed seeing Shannel and her daughters coordinating looks but it wasn’t until Alexander began asking why he and I never matched that the concept was truly born. I struggled to find mother-son collections and never found any options that were also chic and elevated.

HL: What did the launch process entail?

MM: I’ve always had a penchant for fashion since I was a child, but I had never worked in the industry. Launching LEX was a dream come true, but also a true challenge. I had to research and learn where to source the highest quality fabrics and trims, where to find a factory with ethical values and most importantly, find a way to make a positive impact in the polluted industry of fashion.

HL: We love the concept of mother-son swimwear as this isn’t something we’ve seen much of. Are all pieces meant to have matching mother-son options?

MM: Yes, all styles are meant to be worn with your son to color-match. This was something way overdue and lacking in the market. We’ve all seen an endless amount of options for mother and daughter or father and son but never enough for mother and son.

HL: Would you look to expand to creating mother-daughter as well?

MM: For now, we will keep it a collection for mother and son, but if sometime in the future we get enough requests, we will certainly consider it and perhaps make a limited-edition collection for daughters, as well. Stay tuned!

Photo Credit: Christina Arza

HL: We saw a big rise in sustainable swimwear, in particular, this year at Swim Week. Why is it such a huge trend right now?

MM: Fashion is, unfortunately, one of the most polluting industries in the world. It’s responsible for the emission of millions of tons of CO2 and an enormous amount of water consumption, amongst other factors. I think people are becoming more aware and conscious of our environment. More than ever, we want to make a positive impact on the world and protect our future generations.

HL: How do these sustainable materials create such a luxurious feel and design?

MM: Sustainable fashion was once thought of as boring and hippie but now we see that belief is far from true. Sustainable materials are produced with recycled materials, fabrics that use less water to produce and dyes that are non-toxic. The quality and feel of these materials are as good, if not better, than those materials that are not sustainable and unsafe.

HL: How frequently do you plan to release new collections?

MM: I plan on launching three seasons every year—Resort, Spring and High-Summer.

HL: Where is it available?

MM: Our official launch to consumers is in November and the collection will be available at lexswimwear.com

HL: What are your short and long-term goals for LEX Swimwear?

MM: My short-term goal for LEX is to launch a successful brand while making a positive and impactful presence in the industry.

My long-term goal for LEX is to ultimately make our sustainability efforts an ongoing, permanent trend in the industry. I believe by partnering with our manufactures and demanding more ethical and sustainable options from our mills, the industry could see a huge reduction of waste. My goal is to be a champion of this and see sustainability move from being a “trend” to a standard that all brands practice. We believe in the power of coming together as one and making the world a better place for all.

HL: Favorite moment thus far since its launch?

MM: Seeing my son Alexander at our first photoshoot wearing LEX has been my favorite moment thus far. He clearly understands that mom was the one who designed the suits he modeled and he was so proud and excited to be a part of it.

Photo Credit: Christina Arza