OC METRO CALENDAR

  • May 2013
    SuMoTuWeThFrSa
    2829301234
    567891011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    2627282930311
    2345678
Add an event

COVER STORY
Untitled Page

Oleema & Kalani Miller

Owners – MIKOH Swimwear, Newport Beach

OC METRO's Hot 25 for 2011Published: November 01, 2011

Words you live by (Kalani): “In every breath is a new opportunity.”
Favorite getaway spot (Oleema): Tavarua in Fiji. It is absolutely incredible there, and it is truly the most gorgeous, relaxing and calming place in the world.
Hot Factor: This swimsuit-designing sister act, whose suits are worn by celebs such as Cameron Diaz and Rhianna, this year had one of their designs featured in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition.

Oleema Miller’s favorite word is “definitely.” And when you ask Oleema (above, left) if she’s excited about the fact that the swimwear she and her sister, Kalani, have designed has been seen on celebrities such as Kourtney Kardash-ian, Cameron Diaz and Rhianna, she comes back with a huge, “Definitely!”
   
“I didn’t even go to college, and here I’m part of this amazing business,” says Oleema. (They’re now in their third year). The two sisters’ swimwear can now be found in nearly 100 outlets. And when these twentysomethings learned that one of their suits was being worn by a model in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue last year (their Skyler one-piece, on model Julie Henderson), they told their brother, Jason, “You’d better get that website going, because we’re 
in business!”
   
Oleema is the creative mind, while Kalani, who did go to college (a business degree from UC Santa Barbara), concentrates on the business side.
   
The Miller women were born into a surfing family in San Clemente, and both of them date well-known surfers (Oleema with Taj Currow, Kalani with Kelly Slater). They spend lots of times in bathing suits, and finding the right one has always been a challenge so they created MIKOH Swimwear. A key to their success: mix-and-match bikinis. They sell tops and bottoms separately.
   
Oleema says: “Some women have big boobs but tiny waists, and they just can’t find a suitable bathing suit to fit. With us, they can buy parts to make sure it all matches up.”
    
The next step for the duo: Oleema says, a new line for young children.

Editor’s Note: To see who made our “Hot 25” lists in prior years, visit our Archives page.
   
And, we’re now on the hunt for exceptional women who are impacting O.C. If you know someone who deserves to be on our 20 Women to Watch list, please let us know at our Nominate page.