Our Story
HI, I'M DIANDRA - FOUNDER, DESIGNER, AND THE HEART BEHIND AFATO
Immediately after graduating from high school, I started designing fashion and also completed my studies in that field. Most recently, I worked for 6 years as a designer in pant development. A category where fit is everything. Just a few millimeters of cut determine whether a style fits or not. That's where I learned what truly defines clothing: not the print, not the trend—the cut.
Why I founded AFATO
On my surf trips, I noticed something that wouldn't let me rest: There are countless beautiful bikinis. But hardly any that truly stay put in the water. Tops that slip during the first duck dive. Bottoms that stretch out after three sessions. Fabrics that lose their shape after one season.
Surfwear is a market full of beautiful images. But a raglan seam that holds during a paddle-out isn't created on a mood board—but in pattern development. That's precisely the gap I wanted to close.
My path to Bali
In July 2025, I emigrated to Bali. Not because I was fleeing the German industry—but because I finally wanted conditions under which I could work without compromise: close to production, close to the water, close to the women for whom I develop.
Every cut is created by my hand—two to five prototypes per style, tested in real swell, finalized together with our production partners in Bali. That's German Precision—translated into Bali Soul.
A few months ago, my partner Fabian joined. Together, we are building AFATO into a label that will impress next season just as much as this one: surfwear that is cut like premium fashion and delivers what it promises in the water.
Why AFATO?
AFATO stands for As Free As The Ocean. For me, it's more than a name. It's a reminder—of the life I've chosen and the promise I make to my customers.
Our bikinis are meant to make women feel like they don't constantly have to readjust themselves. Not to worry about material quality. To focus on what truly matters in the ocean: the wave that comes. And the next one after that.
WE ARE IN THE OCEAN. WE ARE INSPIRED BY THE OCEAN. WE ARE
AS FREE AS THE OCEAN