Earlier this year, Voysey Brands hosted a fireside chat with Katie Carpenter, the vibrant founder of swim and lifestyle brand Fyn & Fia, and Marine Antikainen, Managing Director at Voysey Brands. The conversation offered a candid look at Katie’s creative journey, her transition from founder to creative collaborator, and the brand’s evolution from bold bikinis to a full lifestyle label.
Designing from the Beach, For the Beach
Marine opened the conversation with a smile: “You have such a bubbly life. And I love how you’ve been talking about your inspiration, especially with color. How did you come up with all those designs?”
Katie laughed, “For me, with the swimwear, I really love to just design what I would want to wear. When I have a nice tan, I’m hanging out at the beach, I want really bold, vibrant colors that make that tan pop. So yeah, anything that I would wear is honestly what I would produce, and then it would sell.”
The Birth of Fin Swim
The original spark came, ironically, from men’s swimwear. “So I was on holiday with a bunch of my husband’s friends,” Katie recalled, “and they were all NHL players cutting the liners out of their expensive swim trunks. I thought, there’s a problem here.”
That moment led to the creation of the Fin Trunk, designed with a supportive Italian Lycra liner and ball pouch brief, a product that quickly caught the attention of professional athletes worldwide. “As soon as I launched Fin Swim, players across the hockey world were messaging me about how much they loved the trunks. That’s when I realized it could be something real.”
Building Fia For Women, by Katie
After several years of success with men’s swim, Katie launched Fia, the women’s line. “I wanted to design for myself, and also create a more complete brand. At first, Fia helped sell Fin, but then it became this beautiful brand in its own right.”
That evolution included a personal touch in everything, including the logo. “It was based on the Venus painting, you know, the woman on the shell. I drew it myself, with Fin and Fia together on the shell. I even sent photos of my husband and me to the artist so the figures would look like us,” she laughed.
Creative Roots and the Tulum Campaign
Katie’s creative fingerprints remain all over the brand. “When we launched the recent collection, you were the creative director for the shoot in Tulum,” Marine pointed out.
“I just love Tulum,” Katie said. “One of the first shoots I ever did for Fin Swim was in Mexico, so it felt right to go back to the brand’s roots. I wanted to keep it authentic.”
A Defining Moment: Miami Swim Week
Katie also spoke about a major early milestone, Miami Swim Week. “We got invited to show Fin Swim. That’s huge in North America. I handled the full production myself, I must have been 23. Coming out at the end of the show and realizing, ‘Wow, this was mine’, that was a defining moment.”
A Founder’s Challenge: Letting Go
Katie was open about the realities of entrepreneurship. “The hardest part was managing everything on my own. I started out designing, which I love, but then I had to run all the business parts too. That’s what led me to Voysey Brands.”
She admitted the transition to new ownership was emotional. “Letting go was hard. People still ask me questions about the business like I run it. But over time, I felt good seeing the brand in such good hands.”
Expansion with Voysey Brands
Marine turned the conversation to the brand’s expansion into bags, jewelry, and watches. Katie smiled, “Will [Voyey Brands Product Sourcing Manager] is killing it. I love how passionate the team is about elevating what I started. That’s what I hoped for, that someone would take Fyn & Fia and grow it without losing the soul of it.”
She added, “The teal linings, the baby blue colorways, it’s all still me.”
What's Next? Baby Blue and Back to Miami
Katie’s creative mind is already racing toward the next campaign. “I’m so excited about the new baby blue Isabella bag. I already had ideas for the shoot the moment I saw it. I’m thinking Miami again, with lots of bright colors to really make the blue pop. And I love that we’re keeping it rooted in North America, where the brand began.”
Audience Q&A: Her Favorite Piece
When asked about her favorite piece, Katie didn’t hesitate. “That’s tough, but I actually love the Isabella bag, that’s my favorite purse. And the Clamshell earrings, plus some of the jewelry. Honestly, I only wear Fyn & Fia bikinis. Everything flows so well, and the quality is amazing.”
Final Thoughts
Katie summed up her journey with a story. “I was at a spa recently and saw a guy wearing the Fin trunk. I complimented him, and he started telling me all about the liner, not knowing I designed it. That’s the best part, seeing something you dreamed up in your head come to life, and someone else loving it.”
With the continued partnership between Katie and Voysey Brands, that vision continues to grow, with texture, authenticity, and Katie’s unmistakable creative fingerprint.
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