Why Swimwear Star Rebecca Klodinsky Walked Away From a Celebrity-Favourite Brand
She built a cult global swimwear label worn by Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber. Now, Rebecca Klodinsky opens up about the emotional decision to shut it down — and how starting over led to her next big success in ethical luxury.
2 min
From the outside, it looked like a dream. Rebecca Klodinsky had built a globally recognised swimwear label from scratch. IIXIIST, the brand she launched in 2013 with just $2,000 and a vision, became an instant cult hit — worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Hailey Bieber, and stocked internationally. For years, it defined her.
But in 2023, Klodinsky walked away.
“IIXIIST was my first business, my breakthrough, my identity for almost a decade,” she reflects. “Closing it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t clean. But it was necessary.”
The decision, she says, was about more than business. It was personal. “Letting go of IIXIIST felt like a death. Not just of a brand, but of a version of myself that I’d spent years building from scratch,” Klodinsky explains. “Over time, it became heavy. The pace, the pressure, the expectations. I was evolving, but the business stayed the same.”
And so, after a decade of high-speed success and global recognition, she shut the doors.
“There’s this idea that quitting means you’ve failed. But no one really talks about the bravery it takes to walk away from something successful—just because it no longer fits.”
That space — the space left behind — would become The Prestwick Place.
Launched in 2019 on the Gold Coast with her now-husband, former AFL player Lachie Henderson, The Prestwick Place is everything IIXIIST wasn’t: slower, intentional, and rooted in ethical luxury. The label specialises in lab-grown diamonds and handcrafted fine jewellery, with full pricing transparency and zero mass production.
“From day one it felt different,” says Klodinsky. “It was slower, more meaningful, and deeply aligned with who I’d become. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t chasing. I was choosing.”
The numbers speak for themselves. With more than $3 million in annual revenue, 89% customer retention, and 75% of sales happening on a customer’s first visit — most via Instagram — The Prestwick Place has quietly become a category leader in the luxury jewellery space.
Still, Klodinsky is candid about what it took to get here. “Letting go of IIXIIST wasn’t just a business decision—it was emotional. I grieved it. I questioned myself. But I learned that just because something is working doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Now fully immersed in her new venture, Klodinsky says the shift has given her something far more valuable than profile or prestige: clarity.
“What IIXIIST gave me was invaluable. But what The Prestwick Place gave me was space—to grow, to evolve, and to build something that reflects where I am now.”
Her next chapter isn’t just about jewellery. It’s about alignment. About building something that fits not just the market — but the maker.
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