The Beach Bunny brand is a modern-day success story with all the elements of a classic fairytale. It's playful, adventurous and undeniably luxurious. But most of all, it's fun-much like the woman who launched the breakthrough Beach Bunny Swimwear collection in 2004 with a few small pieces of fabric and big ambitions.

The brainchild of former Iowa girl turned cover girl Angela Chittenden, Beach Bunny reflects Angie's lifelong passion for couture and her fashion savoir-faire, both honed over decades of modeling hundreds of swimsuits. Angie's search for a designer swimsuit that was classy yet sexy stirred her own designer instincts. Her dream: to create the definitive luxury swimwear line that captures the California lifestyle and appeals to glamorous girls around the globe who just want to have fun. Armed with sensual designs, innovative fabrics and boudoir-inspired details-all crafted in the U.S.A. of the finest quality imported materials-Beach Bunny Swimwear was born.

In designing that first Beach Bunny Swimwear line, Angie knew she wanted to create something different, something special, "something that would let women show off their bodies, feel sexy and confident, glamorous, flirty and fun all at the same time."

She searched for unique fabrics, experimented with sexy cuts, added embellishments and hardware no one had ever thought to add to swimsuits before. Rather than looking at other swimwear designer lines, she found inspiration in the bedroom, blending elements of upscale lingerie into her styles.

“Some people said I was crazy, that my designs were too risky, too out-there to catch on,” Angela remembers with a sly smile. “I guess they were wrong.”

Angie's boudoir-inspired lines were an instant hit with women looking for swimsuits that make a bold statement. By ignoring trends, Beach Bunny Swimwear started setting them. And grabbing the attention of the fashion, media and celebrity worlds. Sports Illustrated dedicated more pages of its Swimsuit issue to Beach Bunny Swimwear than any other line. It's no wonder the brand counts iconic women from the likes of Fergie and Jennifer Lopez to Cheryl Tiegs and Cindy Crawford among its celebrity devotees, most recently culminating in an exclusive collaboration with the trendsetting Kardashian Sisters.

Not bad for a designer with no formal training - just a serious passion for fun-loving swimwear hand-sewn in the good ol' U.S.A. In fact, Angie credits the success of her line in part to her self-taught design skills and instincts. "We do whatever we want, without paying much attention to what other designers are doing. This creative freedom is what makes our suits so unique, and so popular. Every woman is different. They want swimwear that reflects their individuality."

Angie also credits her success to the outstanding team around her. Believe it or not, Beach Bunny Swimwear is a family-run enterprise, with Angie's father balancing the books as the company's CFO and her sister leading up wholesale accounts. Even her step-daughter has expressed an interest in getting into the family business.

"My family has been incredibly supportive and patient," says Angie a mother of two daughters and four step-daughters ranging in ages between two and sixteen. "My daughters Presley and Nikolai, my step-daughters Kaelin, Jordan, Payton and Jasmin, and their dad have been a tremendous source of inspiration for me." Angie is also quick to acknowledge the girls working in her office and store, who often know before Angie which suits are going to be the season's smash hit.

Like the Beach Bunny woman, the brand is going places. From Beach Bunny's first ever Bridal swimwear collection to California chic ready to wear, loungewear and accessories, the possibilities for an elite lifestyle brand transcend every season and product segment. And while always thinking about the next design, Angie is also thinking about the future of her company. With the opening of several retail stores in Scottsdale, Miami, Las Vegas, Malibu and Dubai, Beach Bunny Swimwear is quickly becoming an international brand. So how does this small-town girl originally from Iowa handle the success, and the pressures that come with it?

She'll be the first to admit, running a successful high-end swimwear brand is not always a day at the beach. "But I love what I do. I feel like the luckiest person in the world, to be able to create something that celebrates women, their beauty and strength and personality, every day. This motivates me to work harder."

The possibilities are endless for this successful model and savvy Momtrepreneur and Angie's keen understanding of what women wants positions her perfectly to not only make a splash but headlines in new markets and we can't wait to see what unfolds.