Food & Drink
Tininha Silva’s Colorful Swim Wear
After nine years as the proprietor of a swimsuit shop in Fremont, Silva has launched her own line.
By Seattle Mag July 16, 2012

This article originally appeared in the August 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.
When entering designer Tininha Silva’s Madrona studio, one wall demands attention: On it hangs a massive acrylic painting by her husband, artist Sean Yearian, that swirls in a vibrant tapestry of color and joy. It’s apropos: After nine years as the proprietor of now-closed Tininha’s swimsuit shop in Fremont, Silva has launched her own Teu Swimwear line crafted in prints made from Yearian’s paintings. Transferring the images onto spandex, the Brazilian-born designer accents her one-piece and bikini suits (both styles, $178) with neon yellow mesh lining and low V-neck front panels with ruffled trim. Available in both European cuts and regular briefs, the happy-go-lucky pieces include clever details that are clearly the result of Silva’s years of selling bikinis; backside ruching provides a perfect little booty lift. Hoping to reopen a bricks-and-mortar shop in 2013, Silva has expanded her collection to include sweet mesh lingerie shorts with tangerine trim and racerback cover-ups ($112–$290).
Available at Horseshoe (Ballard, 5344 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.547.9639; shophorseshoe.com) or teuswimwear.com