I created SIDE because, for a long time, I couldn’t find a burkini I felt truly comfortable in — not only physically, but inwardly.

I love the sea. But every time I put on an ordinary burkini, the joy of being there quietly slipped away. Instead of ease, I felt restraint — the fabric didn’t sit right, the silhouette wasn’t comfortable, and the design didn’t reflect the way I wanted to look.

I was missing a piece in which modest dressing wouldn’t feel like a compromise. I wanted a swimsuit that was beautiful, considered, elegant, functional — and appropriate not only in the water, but after the beach, too: in a café, on a walk, at a restaurant.

At first, I was making it just for myself. I wasn’t thinking about a brand — I simply wanted to create what I had been missing. The idea came to me in the winter of 2024, and by summer I had brought the first pieces to life.

SIDE was born from a desire to shift the way modest swimwear is perceived — to show that covered dressing isn’t a forced choice, but a beautiful extension of a woman’s personality, and her own.

— Ainiya, Founder