Mix Bikini: What Happened To The Brand After Shark Tank?
When you think of swimsuits made popular by "Shark Tank," you may think of the TA3 Lifty shaping swimsuit, one of our picks for the best fashion and beauty products to come out of the show. But long before TA3 Lifty's pitch came another "Shark Tank" swimwear brand, Mix Bikini.
The concept of Mix Bikini was simple: Customers could buy bikini pieces and arrange them together to create mix-and-match sets. The suits went beyond basic tops and bottoms and instead offered wearers the ability to interchange multiple pieces in each garment so, in theory, no two bikinis would look the same. Each bikini top cup could have its own print, and the front of the bottoms could have a pattern or color distinct from the back. To bring this idea to the masses, founders Frank Scozzafava and Adam DiSilvestro headed to "Shark Tank," the ABC show that allows entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a panel of "Shark" investors.
Mix Bikini's pitch came with some hiccups, but the brand managed to earn the trust of one Shark. However, the bikini label's future would turn out to be just as rocky.
Mix Bikini barely earned a Shark Tank deal
In a 2012 episode of "Shark Tank," Frank Scozzafava and Adam DiSilvestro, accompanied by two bikini-clad models, pitched Mix Bikini to the Sharks as "the world's first interchangeable swimsuit." Their goal was to receive a $50,000 investment in exchange for 5% of their company. As the founders explained, they had already created website software that would allow customers to design and order their one-of-a-kind bikinis, though they hadn't made many sales yet. They believed Mix Bikini's future depended on their ability to open mall kiosks that would allow shoppers to touch the fabrics and see the interchangeable pieces in person.
The show's investors quickly poked holes in the business plan. Shark Daymond John skeptically pointed out that a 5% stake for $50,000 would indicate that the company is valued at $1 million, which seemed unlikely, given that Mix Bikini's sales were minimal. This led to some disagreement between Scozzafava and DiSilvestro over exactly what investment amount they hoped to receive. Kevin O'Leary also expressed concern over the brand's business model, to which Scozzafava admitted he didn't have a clear plan in mind.
One by one, the Sharks rejected the messy pitch and refused to make an offer. Barbara Corcoran was concerned that the product would be difficult to sell, though she saw potential in the business and offered $50,000 for a 25% stake. DiSilvestro remained quiet, but Scozzafava accepted, and the duo walked away, celebrating their lucky deal.
Mix Bikini quickly used up its Shark Tank money
Frank Scozzafava was excited about his "Shark Tank" fame and didn't hold back when it came to celebrating the episode's premiere. In a scene from "Beyond the Tank," he revealed that the Mix Bikini team threw a huge party in New York City, complete with a pool, custom cakes with a sugary Barbara Corcoran placed on top, and a giveaway for a free car. The founder admitted that the party cost around $50,000, using up the entirety of Mix Bikini's "Shark Tank" investment.
Even worse, Scozzafava and his team were so busy partying that they didn't realize the Mix Bikini website was down on what should've been the company's big launch night. "We had a great night, went home and looked at our sales and realized that the website crashed," Kelsey Duffy, director of operations for the brand, later told ABC13. "And not only did it crash, but it crashed for days after, three or four days, and we lost probably a couple hundred thousand dollars."
Still, the brand stayed afloat and, according to the Tampa Bay Times, opened a retail kiosk in Brandon, Florida just months after its TV feature. By 2014, Scozzafava told CNBC that his line was now rebranded as Sophie vs. Emily and included reversible bikini pieces. He also estimated that his business had earned about $200,000 in retail sales since appearing on "Shark Tank."
The bikini brand couldn't sustain its growth
Despite its chaotic "Shark Tank" pitch and lavish party, Mix Bikini appeared to bounce back for a while. In her 2015 interview with ABC13, Kelsey Duffy explained that she had been given the task of saving the company and eventually renamed it "Versakini." Though its name had changed, the product was largely the same: an interchangeable bikini available in numerous busy prints or, as Duffy described it, "build-a-bear for bikinis."
While Duffy's attempts at resurrecting the business may have been well-intentioned, the name changes and confusing product design might have been too complicated for the average swimwear shopper. As a result, Versakini eventually went out of business, per a Pitchbook profile. The brand's website, versakini.com, is no longer up, and its Instagram account hasn't been updated since 2018. Kelsey Duffy also confirmed in her LinkedIn profile that she was no longer working for the company as of 2018.
What's next for Mix Bikini's founders?
The founding duo of Mix Bikini couldn't compete with other swimsuit trends and failed to find long-term success with their label. Still, they haven't hung up their entrepreneur hats altogether. Frank Scozzafava, the far more vocal of the pair, founded ZAPP RideShare (also known as Scootaway) in 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile. He talked about the company in a video posted online, explaining that users of his service could rent scooters to get around cities and college campuses. He had plans to eventually get 10,000 rentable scooters on the road, though it's unclear if ZAPP managed to reach this goal. In 2020, the company folded, and Scozzafava switched to a Business Development role at another company.
Adam DiSilvestro's involvement in Mix Bikini appeared to be limited, especially during the business's "Shark Tank" pitch, but he, too, seems to have continued to pursue entrepreneurship after leaving the swimwear brand. DiSilvestro's LinkedIn experience reveals that he is now the co-founder of Diso's Italian Food Truck and even appeared on the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race." He also works as a sales and marketing specialist for a start-up focused on rentable phone chargers.