Belizean fashion designer Char Tolentino debut her 2017 line of CharLoves bold and sexy swimsuits at a launch party held in Miami on Thursday, January 26, 2017. The invitation-only event took place at District 900, 990 Biscayne Boulevard. The name CharLoves comes from her name and the passion she has for what she does. She loves designing; she loves swimsuits and loves what she is doing.
Made in the USA, CharLoves’ swimsuits are produced in Miami, and Char personally chooses all of the materials, overseeing every step of the process. They are available for purchase online at www.charloves.com or can be found in Miami at Julian Chang Store. Her fashion line CharLoves is also being showcased in the Beach Chanel, by CBS and in Miami Magazine. Other stores will soon have it available, including other states including New York and countries Turks and Caicos. Needless to say, because of her bold, fashionable and beautiful designs, the launch of CharLoves in the U.S. was a huge success.
Born in the Philippines and raised in California, Char has always had a passion for fashion. Char says that at a young she age began designing and creating dresses, tops, pants and swimsuits for her dolls. While in high school she won a scholarship to the Barbizon School of Modeling in San Francisco, and was named the “Face of the Year” by the esteemed institution. After graduating with honors, she worked for several years as a model and a makeup artist, but soon pursued her true passion for design.
Char moved to Thailand in 2010, leading to the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, the creation of her own fashion line, A-List Fashion. When she moved back to Belize in 2014, she opened an appointment-only boutique in San Pedro, featuring her A-List Fashion dresses, blouses, pants, swimsuits, skirts and jewelry. Char says she drew inspiration from the natural, panoramic beauty of the Caribbean.
Char founded CharLoves in 2015, focusing on designing a full line of swimsuits.
CharLoves’ swimsuit designs quickly attracted the attention of beauty pageant contestants and winners who wore CharLoves’ designs in the swimsuit segments. Some to note are Raquel Badillo, Miss World Belize 2015, Michelle Nunez, Miss America Latina Belize 2016 and the popular Queen of Bacchanal in Belize. Several pageant winners have been involved in modeling and promotin for CharLoves, including Rebecca K. Rath, Miss Belize Universe 2016; Gabriela Vanessa Salazar, Miss Costa Maya International 2015; and Iris Salguero, Miss Belize World 2016.
In July of 2017 Char will be showcasing her fashion line CharLoves at Fashion week in Miami. Fashion week is a three day event and you can find the best designers there. She stated that she wishes to take one Belizean Model with her for that week. Best of Luck Char!