When Shea Marie launched swimwear label Same back in 2015 there was no blueprint or incubator to help convert her influence into a brand.The path from blogger to designer wasn’t seamless, but the result is a luxury swimwear brand that can stand alone. “The most important thing to me when building Same was that the brand would be able to be successful on its own without me attached to it, which is why I’m never the face of our campaigns,” Marie told Inside Retail. “I’m truly the designer and CEO, not the face or the ‘influencer’ behind the brand.”Resort wear and cruise lines have long been profitable arms of legacy designer houses but their high-end approach to swim isn’t accessible to customers.Same is an affordable luxury swimwear label that releases trendsetting collections that go one step further than traditional surf-inspired brands that continue to release the same cut in different colours each season.“My large following in the fashion space undoubtedly helped get the brand out there, but it was the designs, quality, and the trends that we have set year after year that really have made the brand flourish,” said Marie.Brand founder Marie, who got her start in fashion as a blogger, doesn’t underestimate the power of social media and continues to harness the power of user-generated content (UGC).“We have such an incredible network of talent, influencers and celebrities that organically love the brand. We are not paying anyone to post ever,” Marie shared.“UGC is so key for us – we’ve worked hard to position the brand as ‘cool’ and ‘aspirational’ – so people want to be associated with it and wear it. It’s that organic content that’s priceless.”DTC and international expansionSame had previously diversified its brand to be sold wholesale to retailers but has chosen to take creative and strategic control by returning to a direct-to-consumer model.“Same is now a DTC brand as it seems to be the model that is working best for us. We used to work with all the best retailers and may again in the future but for now, we are focusing on our DTC growth,” said Marie.After streamlining its business back to a direct-to-consumer model, Same is now ready to venture into new markets with its first global expansion into Australia. “As we planned our international expansion, we knew Australia had such a big swimwear culture and a healthy, beach-focused lifestyle – similar to California. It seemed like the natural first place we wanted to make a splash in internationally,” explained Marie.“Also the fact that we have opposite seasons is great for the brand to keep up demand all year round.”As a native Californian and a big proponent of beach culture, Marie had an instinct to merge her love of high fashion and swimwear. Same has earned a reputation in the fashion industry as a swimwear brand that creates elevated collections.“We have built a reputation on being a trendsetting brand who’s known for not only style but also quality. It makes people feel more comfortable spending higher prices on items that they know are going to be well-fitting and last,” said Marie.“So far the response has been amazing, we’ve been getting a lot of the same feedback – that everyone is so excited to have more ‘fashion-forward’ swimwear options,” Marie said, regarding the brand’s expansion into the Australian market.