LOCA: Turning Disorder Into Therapy

Loca is an unconventional line of bold, boundary-pushing swimwear born in the wake of my mental health diagnosis. Originally created as a form of therapy during a personal chapter, it later turned into a platform that speaks to shared experiences and advocates for mental health visibility, authentic self-expression, and acceptance.

Our unshakable purpose: to stand fearless and rise above all outside noise.

As the Founder and Creative Director, my intention has always been simple: to create bold swimwear anyone can wear whenever, wherever.
However, it became clear in the early days that we didn’t have the right resources yet to sustain a complete brand. So I paused—but I held tightly to my dream and our purpose.

In 2024, I decided to bring Loca back not only to build it the right way, but to share a renewed, more evolved vision:
designing for both the feminine and masculine form.

From sketches to shoots, styling to strategy, and even the gritty behind-the-scenes of production and logistics—I am Loca.
But it’s never just me. This is our story.

loca.ph

There’s a reason people connect with us.

In the Philippines, where fair skin is often seen as the standard of beauty, I grew up hearing that I was less than my sisters because of my brown skin. Back then, it felt like just an issue of appearance. But when I began traveling and working abroad, I realized it went deeper. It wasn’t uncommon for me to be underestimated because of the color of my skin, or simply because I’m Filipino.

When I created Loca, I wanted the brand to mean something. Part of learning to navigate through my mental health was learning to rewrite the narratives I grew up with. So Loca became an outlet for me to turn what once made the little kid in me feel small into something powerful.

Every creative decision was intentional and rooted in story.

Our color palette, our tone of voice, and the people we choose to work with—every part of Loca is a love letter to my younger self, and to anyone who’s ever been told they’re less than. It’s also a celebration of Filipino creativity, built through the hands and hearts of local talent from manufacturing to production.

Loca: The Making | Launch Video 40.8K Views | Product Catalogue

Made for bitches, by bitches.

But this is not a sob story.

We’re really just here to have fun. Starting from our disrupted logo (designed by the amazing Filipino type designer Joanna Malinis) to pieces that will make you stop and think: Wait, can I actually pull that off?

Even our product shots have the same edge. Quirky models. Weird angles. Offbeat expressions. We’re here to challenge what swimwear should be, who should wear it, and how it should be seen.

We don’t do polished and prim. We speak as we are: a little cheeky, bit off-center, but always real. That same energy runs through everything we do—from how we name our products (e.g. Choked Cover-Up, Barely There Bodysuit, Mind the Gap) to how we package, label, and show up wherever we exist.

From listening…

When I launched Loca, I remember being told to tone it down—soften the brand a little, play it safe. Too bold will scare off people.

But then someone else said something that stuck: if some don’t get it, then that’s not your community.

I’m glad I trusted that second voice, because what came next became my favorite part of building Loca.

My audience started to define themselves.

Aerialists, rock climbers, pole dancers, even freedivers—I was amazed by the kind of people who showed up and supported the brand. For me, these are people who can actually do things and aren’t actually afraid to push limits.

That’s when I realized Loca was more than just a swimwear brand. It had become a space for fearless self-expression: a reminder that being bold doesn’t mean being loud. It just means showing up for yourself, even when you're encouraged not to.

We carry that same energy through everything we do. From our content to our collaborations, every piece is carefully curated. We’re not here to make noise, we’re here to take space. We speak when it matters.

Today, Loca has grown into a community of over 7,000 across Facebook and Instagram—with collections that sell out, restocks constantly requested, and a story shared across print, online, and television.

What began as a personal story has become a living expression of courage, freedom, and the choice to always live unapologetically.