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 LAPU LAPU CITY, Philippines – short strapless bridesmaid dresses ; It may rain from time to time in Manila as summer draws to an end, but on a sizzling afternoon in Cebu, amid the tranquil beauty between land and sea at the stunning Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa, former beauty queens Maggie Wilson-Consunji and Sandra Seifert were excitedly discussing their latest venture to a handful of media people they flew in from Manila.

The press briefing and a fashion show at the Solstice event that night would mark the official launch of their line of “affordable luxury” swimwear in Cebu, less than a week after the brand would make its glittering debut in Metro Manila.

Unveiling Solara—a brand of swimwear carrying pieces they design themselves—Maggie noted it was “something we didn’t really expect to go serious with,” having just been encouraged by common friend Marc Nelson to start a business.

Self-confessed addicts to the sun, sand and the island tropics, they didn’t really have to think long and hard for something they both have an interest in, but Maggie explained the venture had to wait, “because I was shooting a soap and I was planning my wedding. And Sandra had other priorities…”

The Brit-Filipino Maggie, of course, is the Binibining Pilipinas-World 2007 title holder who competed in Miss World in the same year. Aside from modeling and hosting, she appeared in some movies and had several GMA-7 TV series like 2002’s “Kakabakaba Adventures,” “Engkantadia prom dresses affordable prom dresses affordable,” 2005’s “Darna” starring Angel Locsin, “Joaquin Bordado,” and again in 2009’s “ taffeta bridesmaid dresses taffeta bridesmaid dresses cheap mother of the bride dresses cheap mother of the bride dressesDarna” with Marian Rivera in the title role, among others.

Maggie also earned a bit of notoriety late last year when news reports picked up the online buzz of her steamy pre-nuptial video with now-husband Victor Consunji filmed by renowned wedding videographer Jason Magbanua.

Maggie’s best friend, Sandra Seifert, on the other hand, is a Filipina-German international fashion model and a New York-educated nurse. In 1998, she joined the Philippines’ Elite Model Search and went on to compete in the international Elite Model Look Search held in Nice, France.

She also did several TV ad campaigns and modeled here and aboard, and by 2009, she won the Miss Philippines-Earth title, white cocktail dress and finished as the first runner-up in the international competition in the same year, with the title Miss Earth-Air.

Clearly the best image models of their own brand, Maggie and Sandra say they developed their swimwear with their own preferences in mind, and also based on the feedback from their own friends—one of the earliest who tried Solara was their friend, actress Bianca King.

Their brand also answers some of the basic problems in swimwear, including color fading and loose threading, especially since Solara’s fabric is specially made for them from scratch, “made to our liking, to our standard,” they chime in.

Solara is rooted in the Latin word "sol," a name Maggie said she got from the movie “The Book of Eli.” “How ironic is that,” she laughs, “Mila Kunis’ character’s name there is Solara, I thought it was such a pretty name. And so when we were thinking of a name for the swimsuit line, we came up with so many but we were always drawn to Solara. And I checked up with it meant and it actually means sun, so perfect…”

Established only in 2010, the girls are surprised with and excited about the response from clients, having only been made available online and with only word-of-mouth publicity. Their first client was actually male—a local photographer who ordered a red swimsuit for his girlfriend—and their growing orders come from women, as well as men who would sometimes ask for their help in finding the right swimsuit size for their partners.

And because they started out the business with just the two of them, Maggie noted that they were so hands-on, she even ended up doing deliveries personally, an experience she described as “humbling.”

Solara has two collections for now. The Basic Collection is based on the fashion adage, “every woman should have a basic black dress .”

For these ladies, every woman should also have a basic bikini. A forward contemporary swimwear collection characterized by basic cuts modified to give an ultra-sexy silhouette, highlighted by splashes of bold, solid colors and especially adorned with interesting details, Solara Basic’s best feature is that users can mix and match them, thus allowing them to build a solid arsenal of beach wear.

The Sparkle Collection, on the other hand, is a Limited Edition collection that will only be available for a month. The pieces are designed to show off the woman’s more playful, fearless and fashionable side, especially adorned with colorful lightweight plastic gems that also do not fade under the sun. The pieces in the Sparkle Collection are carefully hand-sewn, which takes three to five days to make.

But what makes this brand so much more special is the advocacy taken on by both Maggie and Sandra strapless bridesmaid dresses cheap , who pledge a fraction of each sale to a chosen charity. For now, their beneficiary is the CHILD Haus foundation, which Sarah first heard of from her stint in Miss Earth.

According to its site, it is “a temporary shelter for indigent patients from the different provinces who have cancer or other dreaded diseases and have no place to stay in Metro Manila while undergoing medical evaluation or treatment,” which “provides free room and board to its residents.”

Already, the girls say they not only have Filipino clients but they get orders from as far as Canada, Alaska and Dubai. Clearly, despite the looming rainy season in the country, “It’s always summer somewhere,” they say with a brilliant smile.

“We are not getting any younger,” Maggie says about going into business. “If you look at all the new faces [in showbiz], I realize this wasn’t meant to last.” She also adds, “ wedding dress plus size bride wedding dress plus size brideA lot of people underestimate the power of show business… thinking it’s just a stepping stone tapos wala na.”

Sandra, who is also doing hosting stints on the Velvet channel, says she is also focusing on Solara but is happy that her schedules and commitments allow her to do so. When asked about her love life, given that Maggie is happily married, she says that after a six-year relationship, she is “officially single and ready to mingle,” she says laughing.

Solara made its Manila debut in an ultra exclusive party dubbed Solara at Prive sheath evening gowns , held at Members Only bar and lounge at The Fort on May 18. Prive is held every Wednesday where they invite designers to showcase their work.

Solara previewed its Basic collection as well as the full line of Sparkle Collection, modeled by ‘muses’ like models Ornussa Cadness, Krystal Dizon, Rachel Tan, Sanya Smith and actresses like Bubbled Paraiso, Megan Young and Michelle Madrigal, along with beauty titlists like Ms. Philippines-Air 2010 Rene McHugh and Ms. Philippines-Water 2010 Emmerie Cunanan.

Solara will be providing the swimsuit for the Top 10 of this year’s Miss Earth Philippines finals, happening on June 5.