Francesca Aiello grew up in Malibu, California, where spending her days at the beach shaped her love for swimsuits and inspired her designs. From a young age, she was always in a bikini, surfing in the afternoon, lifeguarding in the morning, and playing water polo, so swimsuits felt like a second skin. When she saw a confident woman wearing a bikini cut she couldn’t find anywhere else, Francesca decided to create her own. Her mother encouraged her to bring her ideas to life, and before long, her friends were requesting custom swimsuits too.
In 2012, still in her teens, Francesca and her mother Mimi founded Frankies Bikinisfrom their Malibu home. She launched the brand’s Instagram page early on, sharing her designs, its strong visual appeal caught attention quickly and helped the company grow. At just 19 or 20 years old, she made history as the youngest designer ever featured at Miami Swim Week. Along the way, she earned a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30list and won Fashion Collaboration of the Year at the Daily Front Row Awards.
Over time, Frankies Bikinis expanded beyond swimwear to include ready-to-wear clothes, knits, and activewear. The brand gained international popularity, collaborating with famous figures such as Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Osaka, Sydney Sweeney, Hailee Steinfeld, and Sofia Richie. Its pieces are now sold in well-known stores like Victoria’s Secret, Revolve, SSENSE, Free People, Kith, and Bloomingdale’s.
Francesca’s creative vision remains rooted in her Malibu upbringing and strong bond with her mother, who continues as her closest collaborator and lead inspiration. Today, as founder and CEO, she leads a brand known for its confident, beach-born designs that reach women around the world.
As of 2025, Francesca Aiello’s net worth is estimated at around $3 million, all earned through her work as a fashion designer and model, along with her brand Frankies Bikinis. She makes money from selling swimwear, modeling, and doing ads for other brands.