The Mighty Bikini

AVANTI MODA traces the history of the bikini, invented in 1946 by French engineer Louis Réard and named after the Bikini Atoll nuclear test site. The feature recounts how Réard's design beat out rival designer Jacques Heim's competing "Atome" swimsuit, and how burlesque dancer Micheline Bernardini became the only model willing to wear the daringly small two-piece for its 1946 debut. The bikini gained mainstream acceptance through the 1950s and 60s as film stars like Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Ursula Andress, and Raquel Welch wore it on screen and off.