Little Bridges Teacher Wins Worldwide Swimsuit Design Contest

Sara Miramontes of Danville is a teacher at a local child care center. But working with kids clearly isn't the only skill she possess.

Miramontes recently won a worldwide swimsuit design contest and the suit will be available to the masses next Spring. Patch traded some emails with Miramontes to talk about her and her unique suit that could forever change how you think of the one-piece swimsuit. 

First, tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? What's your job? How long have you been part of the community?  

I am originally from Fremont, Calif and moved to Danville in 1991. I attended , and (Class of 2000).

After graduation I was on track to go to the Art Institute International of Los Angeles (Television Production/Broadcasting), but felt like it was too soon to leave Danville, after my mothers’ death from breast cancer in February of 2000.  

I stayed local and attended college, (majoring in early childhood education), while working in radio (Alice 97.3, Radio Disney).  I then decided that it was time to “spread my wings” and received a job for Norwegian Cruise Lines as a social host. Think Julie from the Love Boat.

I worked on cruise ships and traveled between the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska and Europe. With all the traveling that I did, I had in mind the “perfect swimsuit” — a one piece suit that looked like a two piece/tankini. 

After working with adults that acted like children, I decided to return to Danville and put my degree to great use and work with children. I received a job at in San Ramon in 2009 and I LOVE working with the same children that I run into at local restaurants and grocery stores.

Tell us how this came together. How did you hear about the swimsuit contest? What inspired you to try and win it? Have you designed swimsuits or clothing before?

In 2011, I saw the contest on the Cyberswim Facebook page.

Cyberswim has the largest collection of Miraclesuits available anywhere. Miraclesuits are the original swimsuit that slims you down at least 10 pounds by appearance. When I saw the contest, I drew up my design and entered. In 2011, I came in second place with my design.

When the 2012 “Design a Miraclesuit” contest was released, I posted a new design up immediately. I wanted to get more votes, so I entered my design early in the competition, rather than later. I seemed to be in the lead throughout the voting thanks to the facebook community.

Thanks to my friends, friends of friends, former classmates, former cruise ship passengers, family, students’ families and voters around the world, my design won.

Talk about the suit you designed. What was your reasoning to make them the way you did?

While drawing the design, I was remembering all of my excursions on cruise ships. I wanted to create a suit that looked like a tankini but was really a one piece. A suit that didn’t “roll up” when climbing the waterfalls in Ocho Rios, a suit that didn’t expose to much for other cultures, yet a suit that is comfortable and fashionable. (I feel that many of the one piece suits on the market are designed for an older generation, and being 30, I felt like I could design a winning one-piece suit for the younger fasionistas of the world.)

The suit is called “Flirty in Pink” (a fun little take on one of my favorite movies, “Pretty in Pink”). The name describes my hopes that whomever wears the One Piece suit can feel flirty. When I wear a one piece, I feel like I am trying to be practical, but all the suits are older designs and I feel are a bit outdated compared to all the two pieces.

In all the items I design, I try to create something that I would want to wear and something that makes me feel more feminine or girly.

What I wanted to accomplish was for the wearer to feel comfortable, confident, flirty and cute!

When will the suit be available and how can people buy them?

Suits will be available for purchase in the Spring of 2013 through the Cyperswim website.

The suit was in the photo-shoot mid-August and the email will go out to Cyberswim members mid-September.

Do you want to keep on designing swimsuits or other clothing or was this just a one-time thing?

This year I entered the “Design a Giants T-shirt” Contest, because I am a huge San Francisco Giants fan. No news yet, but I am hoping that I can wear my giants design to next seasons games!

This contest gave me a boost into not being afraid to put myself forward.

Anything else?

A quote from Lisa Stephens from Cyberswim: “Cyberswim is going to put it in the line as a DD Cup suit as well as misses ... you've got a best seller on your hands!”

After I received the sample suit in the mail I wrote Lisa Stephens to say that I loved the suit, she responded, “I am so happy that you love it … I do too! Even the head patternmaker for Miraclesuit thought it was great.”

I am super excited about the release of the suit. I love to travel and swim and I can only hope to see someone wearing my design.  

---

Like San Ramon Patch | Follow San Ramon Patch | Blog on San Ramon Patch | Get Free San Ramon Patch Newsletters