How Melissa Odabash’s swimsuits became stars’ secret weapon for flattering paparazzi pics

When she founded her namesake brand, former swimsuit model Melissa Odabash found the right fit in more ways than one.

Odabash started her career walking the runway for the likes of Prada and Valentino, but saw a gap in the market for neutral swim styles with flattering silhouettes — and decided to test out her own design chops.

“It’s like when you go and find a pair of jeans; when you find the brand that fits, you go back year after year because you know it’s gonna lift you where you need it,” she told Page Six Style. 

Now, 25 years later, Odabash is still creating suits that do just that — and racking up legions of dedicated celebrity fans in the process, with best-sellers ranging from chain-adorned bikinis to more full-coverage options like the Tampa One-Piece.

While her first celebrity moments included a Sports Illustrated spread with Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and Karen Mulder, these days her suits appear on stars like Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes and Gwyneth Paltrow — plus “many royals in different countries,” as she told us. (We’ve spied her wares on Kate and Pippa Middleton, Meghan Markle and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to name but a few.)

A love for her swim styles also seems to run in famous families, given the whole Kardashian-Jenner clan — from Kylie to Kris’ mom, MJ — have also been spotted wearing her work over the past 20 years.

Odabash’s creations are a hit on the big screen, too, having popped up in everything from “The White Lotus” to “Emily in Paris” to “Passengers”; she even personally re-created Princess Diana’s swimwear for the 2013 movie “Diana.”

“Every celeb I worked with from the beginning, from Cindy to Elle to Naomi, every single one is still my client today,” she said. 

“One day I’ll write a book because it’s just crazy,” Odabash added. “I [once] took Mary J. Blige shopping in London at my store; I chose all her summer wardrobe, then I went to a concert with her.”

As for why so many famous folks gravitate towards her swimwear?

“They know they’re gonna be photographed on the beach, so they definitely don’t want to risk doing something too tacky because the light is not very forgiving,” Odabash theorized.

“They know that [my suits] will hide and tuck and fix and fit them in the right places, so I think that’s why they come back every year.”

Below, shop some of Odabash’s top swim shopping tips — including a surprising fit hack.

Odabash recommends that shoppers of any age invest in a great one-piece. (Her line includes several, from this tie-front option to strapless and one-shoulder designs.)

“I find them so much sexier than a bikini sometimes,” she said. “Don’t follow the trends.”

One of the biggest mistakes she sees people make when swimsuit shopping? Odabash tells us that people often size up in bottoms in search of a more flattering fit, but she typically recommends doing the opposite.

“Skin is a neutral color, so you don’t see skin,” she explained. “It’s better to go smaller and tighter — because when you walk past someone on the beach, they’re only gonna see the printed fabric.”

“You will look smaller on the bottom when you get something true to fit,” she added.

“I use the same fabric as the outside on the inside,” Odabash told us of her suits.”I don’t nip and tuck to make it less expensive for myself. It’s the highest quality fabric.”

“It’s something that lasts like over 20 years and you can pass it on to your kids,” she added.

Odabash tells us this particular bikini top’s been her “bestseller for 20 years,” adding that it “helps lift without looking like you’re wearing a bra or anything underneath it.”

“It’s adjustable, so you can make the triangle longer if you need more coverage or less,” she says of this style that’s “one of Cindy Crawford’s faves.”

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Associate Editor for Page Six. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts celebrities’ brands to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.