Creating bikinis since 2016

Mennillo was built from a dream I carried my entire life.

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a designer. My mom still tells the story of how, at four years old, I told her I was going to create clothes one day. It never felt like a phase to me. It felt like that was exactly who I was meant to become.

I’m half Filipino and half Italian, and both cultures shaped me in such a big way. Mennillo comes from my dad’s Italian side and with that name comes the entrepreneurial spirit he passed down to me. I grew up watching him build, take risks, and lead with vision. I always knew I had that same fire inside me.

When I was 17, while most people my age were going out on weekends, I was in my room teaching myself how to sew. I spent hours watching YouTube videos, altering my own clothes, studying how garments were constructed, and obsessing over fit. I wasn’t doing it just for fun I was doing it because I was determined to build something of my own.

At one point, my dad gave me an ultimatum. If I wasn’t going to follow a traditional path, I needed a clear vision of where I was going. And I did. I knew I wanted to become a fashion designer. I even took private sewing lessons so I could truly understand everything patterns, structure, movement, fit. I didn’t just want to design. I wanted to master it.

At the same time, I was traveling and sharing my creations online. My Instagram slowly started growing, and people connected with my creativity and authenticity.

Then one day, everything changed.

I couldn’t find swimwear that actually fit my body. I have a fuller bust and a smaller waist, and nothing felt designed for someone like me. It was always style without support or support without style. So I did what I’ve always done when something doesn’t exist… I created it myself.

The day I sewed my first bikini and posted it online, the response was instant. The messages, the excitement, the demand that was my “aha” moment. It felt like a calling. Like this was what I was meant to build.

In 2016, Mennillo officially started.

At the beginning, I did everything myself. I sewed every single order by hand. Long days turned into sleepless nights. While other people were living their early twenties, I was working 12-hour days from my bedroom and later from a tiny office building this dream stitch by stitch.

There were sacrifices. There were risks. There were moments of exhaustion. But there was never doubt.

As the brand grew, I realized I couldn’t do it alone anymore. That’s when I truly saw the potential of Mennillo. I surrounded myself with people who understand my vision something I believe changes everything. Today, I work alongside two of my best friends and a growing team who share the same passion and commitment.

What started as a solution to my own frustration became a mission:

To create swimwear that makes women feel confident without ever sacrificing style, comfort, or fit.

Because bodies evolve.
And your swimwear should evolve with you.

Mennillo is more than swimwear to me.
It’s my story.
It’s our community.
It’s a lifestyle built on confidence, freedom, and belonging. 🤍