Zara Larsson Launches Main Rose Swimwear

In a move that feels exactly right, Zara Larsson’s intimates brand, Main Rose, is introducing swimwear just in time for summer. We speak with the Swedish pop star about the covetable new collection.

Zara Larsson has solidified herself as the patron saint of summer (no small feat for a Swede), so it comes as little surprise that her intimates brand Main Rose is expanding into swimwear. “It’s like underwear – it’s quite intimate and there isn’t much fabric,” says Larsson when I reach her fresh faced and in bed. “But the difference between underwear and a bikini is that a bikini is the outfit.” Main Rose’s first collection of swimwear, which focuses on body-baring two-pieces but also includes a high-cut one-piece or two, launches today, well in time for Scandinavia’s forthcoming midnight sun.

Since its launch last September, Main Rose has defined its aesthetic primarily via material: mesh. “It’s obviously not mesh,” says Larsson of the swimwear. “It’s covered.” Still, the collection lives naturally within the brand’s expanding universe, and not simply because underwear and bikinis tend to have obvious design overlap. For one, the cuts of the bikini tops mirror the brand’s bras, offering a range in terms of coverage and support (the underwire option is particularly flattering on a range of bodies). Ditto on the bottoms, which come in styles ranging from strategically barely-there to slightly more demure briefs.

The mix-and-match tops and bottoms come in the brand’s beloved black and shocking pink colourways, as well as some unexpectedly pleasing combinations: burgundy and rose, taupe and neon. And for those looking for something a bit more expressive, feast your eyes on the ‘80s-leaning cheetah and snake prints. “It’s inspired by nature – I’m such a nature girlie,” says Larsson. “Even though neon green might not be super present in nature, the patterns are.”

Given that Larsson’s own brand is so closely associated with fun in the sun, the introduction of swim finds Main Rose naturally leaning into the pop star’s strongly-defined (and deeply influential) aesthetic. “What’s really exciting is to kind of merge even more of who I am into Main Rose, since I’m such a big part of what the brand is,” says Larsson. “I have my influence going a bit harder into the collection. We’re creating this world and this universe for people to be a part of.”

Whilst the debut Main Rose campaign was striking in its stark simplicity (“It was very focused on the products – sleek and beautiful,” says Larsson), the swim campaign, shot by Charlotte Rutherford, is in keeping with the glittery, sun-soaked maximalism of Larsson’s Midnight Sun era. Shot in and around the ocean, it’s both fantastical and fun. Meanwhile, over on the Main Rose Instagram, austere model shots have been replaced with reels emphasising Larsson’s signature unfiltered humour.

In addition to her involvement int he design process, Larsson has test-driven the styles herself and given her coveted stamp of approval. “I was just in Miami – I was swimming for 12 hours in that shit,” she says. “I slept so good that night.” Her preferred bathing suit-friendly location is the beach… sort of. “I’m a beach person – I like the feeling of the beach,” she says, before adding, “I like the ocean, but I don’t like the sand. I love to not be sandy, but I do not love the pool. Maybe I love the salt water pool – that’s perfect for me.” But, as she notes, the new collection can thrive far from water, perhaps in a sauna or as part of a festival look. “I’m really excited to wear them this summer,” she concludes. “The timing is truly perfect.”

Don’t expect Main Rose to stop at swim. When I ask Larsson what’s next she launches into a charming monologue about the rise of ’90s Victoria’s Secret loungewear (“You can make sleep sexy and cute and beautiful,” she says “It’s a fine line between are you going to sleep or are you going to the club”) and the possibility of a Main Rose scent. Overall, the vibe is sexy, to be sure, but ultimately what defines Main Rose is that it’s distinctly for the girls. “The whole idea of Main Rose is that it started with sexual pleasure,” says Larsson. “So I’m super open to anything in that world. It could go anywhere, which is really exciting. But obviously swim was the natural evolution.”