About Us

In 1998 Sonia De Mello came to America to learn English. She landed in Santa Barbara, the American Riviera, one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. As Sonia worked as a nanny while attending school at Santa Barbara City College, she had much more on her mind. Sonia De Mello have other dreams, which began with her after-school trips to the beach.

Every time she went to the beach, someone would ask her, "Where do you buy your swimsuits?" After doing research, it was revealed there was a huge void for stylish swimsuits in the California swimwear market. That's when she decided to import Brazilian swim brands into the U.S. Within weeks, she was working with one of the largest swimwear manufacturers in Sao Paulo.

After four years of selling the designs of others, she created her own brand,So De Mel (a play off her name), and launched it in 2008 at the Miami Swim Week. So De Mel Swim is a "Brazilian Inspired" label offering a perfect mix of functional Brazilian fits and modern European cuts. The collection's simple styles, accented with carefully crafted classic details, enhance the beauty of the female form. Each piece is made from the highest quality, and forgiving fabrics.

So De Mel suits are soft enough to hug your skin, and durable enough to swim in

Sonia continues to research and choose the finest fabrics to master the fit of her pieces as to fit women of all ages. The female shape is always kept in mind when creating new styles. Not having any formal design training, Sonia learned her self-taught skills through curiosity and exploration. She draws inspiration from her culture, world travel and anything that catches her eye.

Since she launched her swimwear label, she continues to evolve into her own unique style, which is followed by many worldwide. Sonia lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, Soemi Caramel, and their dog, Rio De Janeiro.