Pro Teams

swimsuits-by-dadesignsdancewear-phoenix-suns-dancers-calendarTwelve months. Twelve bikinis. Three colors.

DA Designs partnered with the Phoenix Suns Dancers to design picture-perfect swimwear for the team’s annual swimsuit calendar. Each year, the team director picks a theme for the upcoming calendar; Director Taryn Carmichael came to DA Designs to create swimsuits relevant to each month, while simultaneously showcasing the team’s talent and spirit.

“The challenge for this project was to find cute and recognizable themes for each month,” says Dennette Nakamura, DA Designs owner. “The twist was that we wanted to do them all in team colors.”

Armed with the guidelines, Nakamura and her costume designer Danette Thomas set out to create itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, purple, orange and black bikinis. Just 45 days later, the design duo delivered a dozen custom suits for the Suns Dancers.

So what did they come up with?

January’s dancer sported a snowy swimsuit, while February’s outfit wishes viewers a happy Valentine’s Day—by way of sparkling “PHX”-filled hearts, of course. July’s dancer offers a Sun’s take on the American flag, and a cute Mrs. Claus rounds out the 12-month calendar.

swimsuits-by-dadesignsdancewear-phoenix-suns-dancers-calendar2Each Suns dancer received a unique swimsuit made from four-way stretch fabrics—including shiny Lycra, mystique, hologram and lots of sequins—ensuring a perfect fit. But as Nakamura explains, it’s easy to achieve a heavenly shape with a great model.

“The real challenge for me is to make the suits small enough to make them sexy and yet still cover all the important parts,” she says. “But these girls all have perfect bodies, so they look amazing in whatever we make!”

Choosing custom swimwear for the 2013 Suns Dancers calendar truly enhanced the end product—the Suns dancers can look their best in professionally designed outfits, while the team maximizes investment with appropriate team colors and logo placement. “It’s a chance for the director or owner of a team to really take control of the theme of their calendar and really increase and maximize their brand,” Nakamura explains.

For professional designers such as Nakamura, pro team swimsuit production is a fun and welcome challenge. When looking into custom swimwear, Nakamura recommends teams and individuals identify a theme, color scheme, budget and number to ensure swimsuit success. But, as always, it all comes down to fit and feel: “It’s important to find a designer that knows how to design suits that are flattering and functional as well as beautiful.”