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"Last year Gabi Gregg propelled to internet fame because of a post that showed off her style\u2014and her curves. Donning what she deemed a \"fatkini,\" the plus-size blogger made a statement (which went well beyond swimwear) and looked incredible doing it. Gabi's got guts and a fashion-forward eye, so when we learned about her collaboration with Swimsuits for All, we couldn't wait to check out\u00A0her beachy designs. And the options, all priced at $68, definitely don't disappoint. What's more, at age 26,\u00A0she's grown her\u00A0site Gabifresh from hobby to career in just five years. Read on for our interview with the superstar blogger, and click through to see the\u00A0swimsuit lookbook\u00A0starring Gabi, fellow blogger Nadia Aboulhosn, and model May Day Green!\n\n We're really excited about\u00A0this collaboration! Did\u00A0it come about as a result of your original fatkini post? Some of my most-loved and most-talked about fashion posts are the bathing suit\u00A0ones I do each year. A lot of girls are really scared to go to the beach when they feel like they don't have the perfect beach body, so I try to encourage women of all sizes\u00A0to feel great at any size. Last year's bikini post definitely went\u00A0more viral than others. I have loyal followers, but I became known by\u00A0lots of other people as the plus-size girl who wore a\u00A0bikini. That definitely became associated with my brand, and so Swimsuits for All approached me a few months ago\u00A0to see if I was interested in designing. I jumped at the chance because it's something that I wanted to do, but haven't had the personal resources to do it. I thought it was a great opportunity.\n\n What was designing like? \n\n I don't have a background in design, but as a younger plus-size woman, I recognize there's a huge gap in the market\u00A0between what trends are out there\u00A0and what's\u00A0actually available in\u00A0my size. I've always had ideas\u2014I've even sketched outfits that I wish came in my size! I think\u00A0the designing came naturally to me because I'd waited so long to see something I actually liked.\n\n What inspired the collection?\n\n I wanted to do something very bright to stray away from the darker things that are made for plus-sizers. The younger demographic is often\u00A0overlooked when it comes to\u00A0larger sizes\u2014 a\u00A0lot of the swimsuits are very matronly. I did one galaxy-print bikini that I think is the standout piece. I also did two neon bikinis and a one-piece. I think neon looks great on the beach, especially when you have a tan. Even though\u00A0bright two-pieces are kind of basic, they're actually\u00A0hard to find in plus sizes because a lot of designers assume that we only want to wear darker colors.\n\n How would you recommend styling the galaxy-print bikini?\n\n It's a statement piece on its own, so I wouldn't do too much to it. It has a lot of cool details like mesh cutouts and an adjustable stripy part above the cups, so people can move it down if they don't want a weird tan line. I would totally wear it with flip-flops and sunglasses, and maybe a little black cover-up.\u00A0I love that the lookbook is a bit\u00A0Spring Breakers-inspired, with the cool neon accessories,\u00A0and high-top sneakers, and reflective sunglasses. I think all of that styling looks great, especially for teenagers.\n\n What challenges have you faced as a plus-size blogger?\n\n It's a double-edged sword. There are great parts and, obviously, harder parts.\u00A0Sometimes people in the fashion industry don't really take you as seriously. Readers want to see aspirational images and they don't consider plus-size being aspirational; the fashion industry can have the same attitude. On the other hand, I think that's what sets me apart. My brand is well-known because I have something different about me. I was able to show people that I'm a size 18 and I'm still able to follow trends and make clothes look great.\u00A0I have the readers who really relate to me and say, \"Thank you so much! You've changed me life. I've never seen anyone my size so confident and happy and stylish.\"\n\n What confidence tips do you have for girls, particularly those who are plus-size?\n\n I think what changed my perspective and what helps so many women get to a place of self-acceptance\u00A0is seeing other people that look like\u00A0them. This could mean going to Tumblr and looking through the body-positive and plus-size fashion tags so you don't\u00A0feel so isolated. Girls who grow up as the \"fat girl\" in their class can feel really alone, so seeing other women who look like\u00A0you do and are happy and stylish can really change the way you see yourself.\n\n Who are your favorite plus-size bloggers?\n\n Some of my favorites are Nicolette Mason, Franceta Johnson, and\u00A0Jay Miranda. I have a ton!\n\n Where are your favorite places to shop?\n\n I mostly shop online because\u00A0that's where the best plus-size choices are if you're younger and want to be on-trend. Asos Curve is my favorite. The fact that\u00A0Asos added\u00A0a plus-size collection is awesome, and it's one of the only places that doesn't water down their designs for plus-size women. There's also Dorothy Perkins, which goes up to a US size 18. I also love Forever 21 Plus and SimplyBe.com\u2014that's\u00A0where I got my black-and-white bikini from last year's fatkini post.\n\n Your blog has become your career. How do you manage having your own site?\n\n When I started, blogging as a career hadn't taken off yet. Now my day-to-day consists of\u00A0writing product\u00A0reviews, working as a brand ambassador,\u00A0and designing and promoting this collection. You have to take it seriously as a job. I do some freelance writing as well, and I love being able to control my schedule. In terms of advice, I'd say don't expect overnight results. Some people see successful bloggers and automatically think, \"Oh, I want a blog!\"\u00A0but get discouraged when they don't make a lot of money or aren't working with a lot of brands within a few months. That's not usually how it happens! I have to remind people I've been blogging for years. I did it for three years before I even went out on my own and made it more than a hobby. Knowing your voice and having a niche can also really help. You have to ask yourself what you're bringing to the table. Blogging is so oversaturated now that it's really hard to make a name for yourself if you don't offer something that's unique.\n\n What's up next for you?\n\n I'm hoping to come out with a book! I also want to design more than just swimwear, so I'd like to do a collection of my own in the next year or two."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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