I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat with designer Tulio and find out where he gets the inspiration for his sensational swimwear.  He filled me in on what it really means to look good, and what we'll be seeing next at the pool and on the beach.

What’s your goal as a men’s designer?  What sort of feeling do you want people to get from your clothes?

Of course, the goal is for people to look good.  If a man is going to wear a swimming suit on the beach he wants his butt to look good; I want his butt to look good too.  I want people wearing my clothing to have a feeling of total freedom.  In Brazil, people are used to not having to wear anything at all; when you wear my suits, I want you to feel almost as if you are naked.

Since you started out in this business, what’s been the “best day ever” at Tulio?

I launched my first swimwear line in 1987, and we were very popular right from the start.  When you see your clothing right in the front of a magazine, you know you’ve reached your goal.

What’s next for Tulio?

Red is going to be like black was in the 90's - it's popular to wear bright colors now.  I go to the remote beaches of the world to search for design ideas, and I see less and less black.  We're adding designs with lots of color, and in combinations that you don't always expect.

How do other fashion trends affect what’s going on at Tulio?  Where do you think the evolution of men’s swimwear is headed?

In fashion, you have to keep your eyes on the women.  What's popular in women's wear now is what will be next in men's fashion.  The square cut suit has been popular for awhile, so now men are moving back toward a bikini style.

If you weren’t designing menswear, what would you be doing?

I'd be designing other clothes.  I designed my first dress when I was 14 years old and went to school and learned to design wedding gowns, I wouldn't be doing anything else.

List your top five rules for men of style:

Rules?  I don't believe in rules.  Fashion is about wearing what makes you comfortable.

What is “sexy”?

Sexy is not about what you wear or what you put on your body, it's who you are and how you feel.

Not everyone looks like a model.   What are your suggestions for everyone else who wants to look good in their underwear?

It's not about what you look like at all.  Fashion and sex appeal mean wearing what makes you feel good.  You don't have to look like a model to look good in the clothes that you wear.