ISA BOULDER Bikinis: What I'd Actually Buy

I went into ISA BOULDER expecting swimwear, and came out thinking about seamstresses. Cecilia Basari and Yuli Suri came to the label from different corners of the Balinese garment world: Basari studied womenswear at Central Saint Martins, and Suri had years of local production experience. When a local swimwear producer laid off its seamstresses, the two friends brought those workers' skills into a new studio and began with swim.

The clothes make more sense to me when I think about those hands. Production stays small and slow, with a stated aim of cutting unnecessary waste, and you can read that in the early unusual straps, sharp ruching and exposed shapes. Sensuality here is a personal choice, not a uniform.

The label has since moved into knitwear and ready-to-wear, and in October 2023 it showed its first ready-to-wear collection in Paris, reworking macramé and weaving into something younger and more playful. I like that one foot stays in Bali craft while the other wanders off into experimental styling. Both ask the wearer to decide how much skin, shine and texture feels right.

The Fawning Bikini Top in Silver is the softer way in, with the shine kept light enough that it never feels like armor. The Fullweave Bikini Top in Silver sharpens the shape. For a pop of color there is the Knot Bikini Bottom in Acid, and I would wear it with a quieter top instead of matching every metallic in one look.

That mix of shine, stretch and a little strangeness is where ISA BOULDER swim feels most itself. The Static Bikini Top, the High Weave Bikini Bottom and the Split Bikini Bottom widen the choices. These come as separate pieces, so I would treat fit as two decisions, one for the top and one for the bottom.

The Woven Fringe Mini Dress in Silver makes the handwork the headline, the sort of dress I would save for an evening where texture can take the lead. The Crimson Drape Dress is turquoise, soft and draped, so it needs almost nothing added. The Threadline Jacket is a chocolate open knit that I would throw over a plain tank, letting the surface show without turning every layer into a pattern.

The Ripped Quilt Bomber, the Bones Top, the Woven Tight Tank Top, the Basic Short and the Woven Tight Micro Minii Skirt keep the same slightly rough edge. I like the contrast between the silver mini and the soft drape. What I would skip is piling another busy knit over either dress. Let one textile be the point.

I keep coming back to ISA BOULDER because it refuses to smooth every edge into a generic idea of sexy. Swim separates, open knits and handworked surfaces leave room for the wearer to decide what feels good, and the Bali roots shape how I read the craft. I would not choose it for a plain beach uniform or an anonymous party dress. I would start with one piece that makes me curious, then keep the rest of the look quiet. Although I know that never lasts past the second order.