Meet Vanessa Sanchez — the Gen Z'er building a swimwear empire worn by Kim Kardashian, Vanessa Hudgens, and the most influential stars

• Vanessa Sanchez is the owner and founder of Nessy Swimwear based in California.
• Sanchez, 21, began making swimwear at 14 years old after teaching herself how to sew.

Vanessa Sanchez launched her swimwear company as a high school student, but she and her brand have since undergone a necessary metamorphosis over the years.

During a phone conversation with Insider in January, Sanchez was completing designs for Nessy Swimwear's seventh season when she took a moment to self-reflect.

"Back then, I would sell bathing suits for $20 and wouldn't care. I just wanted to sell a bathing suit and get it to my friends," Sanchez, 21, said. "Now, I want to create products with purpose."

Nessy Swimwear, which launched new designs in March, was the childhood passion project-turned business that catapulted Sanchez into the fashion industry. Sanchez learned to sew at 8 years old — with help from YouTube and Google in true Gen Z fashion — before creating the company's Instagram account at 14, officially launching her business soon after.

Sanchez began making swimwear after struggling to find bathing suits in her size, telling Insider it was a "terrible feeling."

Nessy Swimwear is preparing for a rebirth of sorts, Sanchez said.

"As I grow, the brand is growing as well," Sanchez said.

From creating a brand to addressing her mental health, Sanchez tackled it all as a young woman spearheading a swimwear company

Sanchez remembered the first time Kim Kardashian wore one of her designs in 2018. The KKW Beauty mogul had flown to Turks and Caicos for a vacation when she shared an Instagram photo of herself in Nessy Swimwear's hot pink Cindy bikini.

"I couldn't believe it," Sanchez said. "Because until last summer, I was pretty much handmaking all the bathing suits myself with the help of a seamstress. I physically cut, sewed, and dropped the bathing suit off at the post office."

Since that time, Kardashian sported the brand again in 2021 while studying for the bar exam, according to Page Six.

Celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Addison Rae, Dixie D'Amelio, Charli D'Amelio, and the late Naya Rivera also donned her designs. When her swimsuits were featured in Sports Illustrated and Miami Swim Week 2019, Sanchez already gained success, but it wasn't without challenges.

As a teenager growing up in the social media age, Sanchez said she began comparing herself to other women on the internet.

"That was pretty difficult for me growing up," Sanchez said. "I think having a swimwear company at a young age definitely affected my mental health positively and negatively."

It's something she's tackling in therapy and continues to be open about.

"I don't think it's something that ever fully goes away, but I deal with it by focusing on myself and understanding that there is no one like me," Sanchez said.

When it comes to Nessy Swimwear, Sanchez said her greatest challenge at the moment is learning to accept help as the leader of the company. She currently works with two freelance agencies but still shoulders much of the responsibility.

"Right now, we're going through a relaunch phase, so I'm facing challenges letting go of the work and letting other people help me," she added.

Nessy Swimwear is based in Los Angeles and the majority of its manufacturers are Latino

Representation and creating opportunities is something Sanchez carries into her Los Angeles-based business, where she works with manufacturers who are mostly Latino.

"If I'm doing an interview or just meeting someone on the street, I will make it a point to say, 'Yeah, I am a Latina, and I run a business, and we are mostly female-run and operated,' because that representation matters," Sanchez said.

Sanchez told Insider that she didn't see much diversity in the industry growing up and felt "isolated" at times.

"I think that's also why I dealt with so much comparison because I was on my phone 24/7, and there was no diversity, whether it's in size, ethnicity, or skin color," she said, adding that the industry's begun to make leeway in recent years.

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"Now, it's gotten more size-inclusive and people are putting models with different ethnicities on the cover of campaigns," Sanchez said.

Nessy Swimwear also holds itself to the same standard, offering bikini cup sizes from A to F.

"I want everyone to put on the bathing suit and immediately want to take the bomb mirror selfie to post on Instagram," Sanchez said. "I don't want people to feel the discomfort I felt when I was younger."