MANTA COLLECTION

MANTA Collection presents the opposite of whatever neon colored stringy thing that is sold as swimwear to tourists in beachside shops in South Florida. The lines are sophisticated, and the fabrics appear in muted neutrals or patterns inspired by nature: stingray, banana leaf, marble. This is Swim Noir, brought to us by West Palm Beach based designer Janeane Marie.

Starting her career in women’s Portland, Oregon with her eponymous line, fashion has taken Janeane to the East Coast, Europe, and Asia.  Two years ago, she found herself again in South Florida designing a collection of swimwear for women that is inspired by the ocean at night.

Janeane was never really interested in working for a big corporate fashion house. After a go on Project Runway Season 7, she found herself looking for new surroundings. In the summer of 2010, she got an offer the would bring her from the cool climes of the Pacific Northwest to the decidedly brighter Sunshine State as head designer for tattoo artist and fellow reality television veteran Kat Von D. Working for Kat in West Palm Beach allowed Janeane to really understand the global manufacturing process. For two years, she travelled to factories across China, sourcing fabrics and gaining insight into where the clothes we wear come from, and the humans who are behind their creation.

The next big move took her to Brooklyn to design everything from winter coats to tops for Brooklyn Industries. Responsible for the entire Women’s collection, swimwear was the last thing on her mind. But, she missed the warm waters of South Florida, and later realized just how much as she flipped through her sketchbook to find illustrations of swimwear that  she had been subconsciously designing.

She and her husband returned to Florida when Janeane was 9 months pregnant with their first child. They left the city, and soon after,  MANTA was launched. The line is undeniably modern and chic– not to mention sourced and manufactured in the United States, using fabric made of recycled commercial fishing nets collected in the open ocean.  The line debuted at Curve Expo in February 2016, and was picked up by Oak NYC in Brooklyn. The line is currently available online as well as in a few select boutiques.

MANTA can be found on Garmentory.com and the Resort Collection featuring an artwork collaboration with artist Heather Chontos that will be available in November. To view the full collection from Manta, visit http://mantashop.co