You can take the girl out of California, but not California out of the girl. Golden State native and founder Elizabeth Kosich shares childhood memories, her entrepreneurial story and post-COVID life with San Diego Voyager Magazine as part of their "Inspired Stories" campaign. 

 Hi Elizabeth, we'd love for you to start by introducing yourself.

It's no surprise I stumbled into swimwear design after growing up in California. After all, most of my youth was spent in a bikini — childhood in Northern California, summers in San Diego, college in Santa Barbara. My grandpa taught me how to body surf at Solana Beach and, decades later, swimming in open water still remains one of my greatest joys. Hand knitting bikinis is another, though the first attempt at body surfing in one inspired me to reimagine its construction using modern technology. A reinvention of the old-fashioned knit bikini followed, as did the launch of Elizabeth Kosich New York in 2009. My designs have since been featured in print, film and online, which includes 8 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit placements to date. 

Now, if you ever want to experience a woman's greatest fear, be a bikini designer. Years of watching countless women measure themselves against impossible standards (spoiler alert: even Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models need airbrushing) inspired me to create clothing that builds strength, courage and confidence from the inside out. Four years and over 100 prototypes later, I launched The EveryBody Wrap® — a simple dressing system that flatters every body shape, size and age. To further my commitment to body positivity and inclusion, I became an accredited body shape expert and image consultant at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology and launched Elizabeth Kosich Styling — an image styling service that builds powerful, authentic personal brands through wardrobe.

Alright, so let's dig a little deeper into the story — has it been an easy path overall and, if not, what were the challenges you've had to overcome?

Life is full of surprises and COVID-19 was a big one. Luckily entrepreneurship teaches you to adapt and pivot quickly, plus my personal belief is that change is natural, necessary and — ultimately — unavoidable. Like nature, we too are meant to evolve and so we may as well embrace reinvention with gusto. COVID presented this profound moment of pause and reassessment which I used to reimagine, realign and reinvent life. After 21 years in New York City, I relocated to Honolulu, Hawai'i for an artist residency with the Hawai'ian Academy of Performing Arts. My new home at Chinatown Artist Lofts allows me the dedicated time, space and focus to grow my endeavors like never before, proving paradise is the ideal environment for artistic growth.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

The EveryBody Wrap® is life-improving on so many levels. The design shows off your prettiest shape while the fabric boosts confidence and emotional security at once. Its versatility empowers change on-demand — of appearance, attitude or both — plus the "all-in-one" aspect saves time and money, allowing you to redirect those resources toward whatever matters most. It gives me tremendous peace of mind knowing I've built something thoughtful, meaningful and high-quality that also encourages conscious consumption.

Is there a quality you most attribute to your success?

Tenacity!  Entrepreneurship is never a straight line and those with the most stamina, will and curiosity prevail. 

Link to published article on SDVoyager.com here.