Heidi Klein is infamous for her eponymous swimwear range worn by pretty much every major name in fashion and film. And her designs are set to be available for a younger market from next month when they expand into the arena of girls’ swimwear for ages 2 – 10. Expertly crafted, each story features a bespoke range of pretty swimwear in super soft UPF 50+ fabrics that block out 97% of the sun’s harmful rays, with coordinating dresses and rash vests to complement each story. Aside from her hugely successful label, Heidi has three children so we were thrilled she took some time out to tell kodomo.com a little more about what we can expect from her first children’s collection…..

What made you decide to launch a children’s swimwear label?

I found it difficult to find beautiful swimwear for my little girl and wanted to create a line I knew she would love.

What was the inspiration behind the new collection for girls?

My little girl Madeleine. We have not started the boys collection yet; I’m still gathering inspiration for that.

Did your children help with the designs at all? Did you run everything by them to see what they thought?

Yes, I ran all the designs by Maddy and she loved them all.

Have you any plans to extend the collection in the future, either to make it bigger or to start designing for teenagers?

Yes. We will start creating a collection for boys soon, aged from 2-10 years of age. There will be new styles in the girls’ collection twice a year and we have a new line of adorable sandals, too.

Do you remember the swimwear you wore as a child? Can you describe it for us?

I had a red and white polka dot swimsuit with a little skirt; I loved it!

What are your earliest memories of travel as a child?

Jumping in the rock pools with my brothers on the beach in Scotland.

If you had to pick one favourite destination for your holidays as a family where it would be?

Portofino, Italy.

And aside from your own swimwear, what do you have to pack when travelling on holiday? Is there one item you can’t live without?

My beauty essentials are Crème de la Mer Face and Body Gradual Tan; Sisley Eau de champagne, and St Barth Roucou Tanning Oil for skin and hair. Other travel essentials are a notebook and pen, Todd’s sunglasses, a cashmere throw, and a Heidi Klein travel candle, all packed neatly in my treasured Birkin bag.

In a few words, what advice would you give to women when buying swimwear?

Find the right style to fit your body shape so that your swimwear fits you perfectly. This is really important. Make sure your swimwear provides enough support where you need it the most. Try on a selection of styles, such as a bandeau, d-g ring top, triangle top, and a control one piece, and see which one you feel most comfortable in. If you feel comfortable, you will feel gorgeous.

And can you tell us a little about the inspiration for the current womenswear range? Did it have any influence over the designs for the children’s swimwear or are they totally independent of each other?

They are really independent of each other in regards to design, fit and style. The inspiration for our womenswear collections each season come from listening to our customers in the stores, hearing what they like and don’t like, and designing styles with a nod to the current print trends. The classical nautical style is one of my favourite prints for swimwear, and so we have elaborated on this trend to come up with fresh designs each season. Our new Resort Summer 2015 collection presents a fresh and elegant take on texture with rich, understated fabrics blended with bold colour harmonies running across both swim and cover ups. With confident colours of neon yellow, bright red, deep coral, and hot fuchsia elegantly contrasted with vintage leopard, Ikat and mottled prints, my next collection is all about offering an effortlessly chic mix-and-match selection of beachwear.