Plus size designer and style blogger GabiFresh (also known as Gabi Gregg) knows her curves, and her strong women.
Gregg just launched her 2018 resort collection with leading body-positive swimwear brand Swimsuits For All. The fierce new line was designed to pay tribute to strong, bold and confident women and to evoke the “power of survival.” For the gorgeous new launch shoot, Gregg was joined by breast-cancer survivor Ericka Hart and model and activist Philomena Kwao to help show off the powerful looks for women who proudly embrace their curves and their bodies. The trio posed in the jungles of Belize for this stunning shoot. The line features bold and trendy one and two piece swimsuits in womens sizes 10-26.
“Body positivity is now a mainstream topic that everyone is talking about, and there was a lot of progress in 2017, but I think there’s definitely still room for improvement,” Gregg said in an interview with PEOPLE.
The collection aims to exemplify how these three strong women have overcome challenges they’ve faced in their lives, and the bold, scene-stealing styles definitely make a statement.
Gregg has some great news for aspiring models too. In partnership with Swimsuits For All, she’s hosting an open casting call in Los Angeles on January 20th and 21st to find nine women (sizes 10-26) to join her on the next photo shoot.
See ladies rocking the looks we love below.
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GabiFresh’s Swimsuits For All Resort Line 2018
Yes. Yes. YES! Shopt these looks for your next girls trip here.
If you’ve ever been to ESSENCE Hollywood House, you know it’s more than just a series of panels—it’s a gathering of visionaries. A space where Black creatives and leaders come together to share stories, strategies, and solutions. This year’s conversation, Let’s Talk About LA: Preserving Our City, presented by AT&T, was no different.
The discussion brought together three voices, each deeply invested in shaping LA’s future: D. Smoke, the Grammy-nominated rapper and educator; Olympia Auset, founder of SÜPRMRKT, a grocery service tackling food apartheid in LA; and DJ HED, a radio personality and advocate for independent artists. Though their paths differed, their mission was the same—creating opportunities, protecting culture, and ensuring Black spaces in LA don’t just survive but thrive.
For Olympia Ausset, the work she’s doing with SÜPRMRKT goes far beyond providing fresh groceries—it’s about laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier community. “The LA we love, the cultural beacon it’s known as today, was built by people who worked hard to create their own spaces,” she shared. “The reason I do what I do is because it’s essential. We can’t achieve any of the changes I want for my community without being in good health and having access to affordable, organic food. Without places where we can gather, heal, and support each other, none of the other goals will be possible. It starts with taking care of ourselves and building those spaces together.”
From Olympia’s focus on wellness and accessibility to DJ HED’s belief in the power of self-worth, the discussion explored what it means to dream beyond individual success and invest in collective progress. “I see a lot of people who aren’t proud of where they come from, what they look like, or where they’re at in life,” he said. “I had to learn to give myself grace, to grow. I grew up in Inglewood, raised by a single mom. We lived in a car, we were on welfare, but I knew I wanted to be bigger than my circumstances. That’s what dreaming in Black is—believing in something greater and nurturing it until it grows.”
DJ Smoke also touched on this, emphasizing the importance of intention and fulfillment. “You don’t want to climb that ladder and realize you went real high in the wrong direction,” he warned. “A lot of people in LA are ambitious, but if you don’t understand your ‘why,’ you can get to the top and still feel empty. The goal isn’t just to make it—it’s to make it mean something.
Sometimes, as Black creatives, we only dream as far as the next gig or the next check, but dreaming in Black means going beyond that. “It means thinking bigger than what’s right in front of you,” said host Donye Taylor.
This conversation was a call to action – a reminder that preserving LA’s Black culture means investing in community, honoring our history, and building a legacy that lasts.