Claudia Dean by Lauren Engel for C-Heads Magazine

Tell us about your upbringing

I was born up in the North in Leeds. I lived there for 11 years then I moved to Ireland. Afterwards I went to school down into Hampton on the coast and now I live in west London. I am a bit of a traveler, a bit of a gypsy. I have two big brothers. One works in merchandising and the other one is a carpenter.

Tell me about your nationality

My granddad is from Trinidad. He has 7 brothers and sisters but they’re all dispersed across the world now. I kind of have an international family. We live in New York, Abu Dhabi. I visited Dubai because my partner lives there but not Abu Dhabi. We have some family in Florida, Trinidad, and in the UK.

How did you start modeling?

I just got into it from a friend. It’s been a couple of years now since I finished my degree and started modeling. I was doing it part time and was traveling.

Where did you travel?

Everywhere! The only place I haven’t been to is Australia. I would go for a few weeks and come back. I spent a year traveling and did little bits of modeling then I went modeling full time.

What is it like growing up in Leeds?

It is colder. The people are different to those in London. They say it’s a lot friendlier the farther you go North.

What do you do for fun?

I really enjoy being at home and reading. I read like six books at a time. I love non-fiction and fiction books. I love reading and learning new things. I love getting lost in books. I love eating Japanese and Italian food. I dont discriminate against food

What future plans do you have?

I have a business degree so I can always use that. It’s a good foundation. Modeling is going really well right now but that kind of career doesn’t last forever.

What inspired you to start your own swimsuit line?

We just thought that there is a massive gap in the market in the UK. We want to make a line that is very very high quality. Here it is very seasonal but with online international shipping, it doesn’t matter where you base your brand. My swimwear brand is OMNIPO.

What is the swimwear industry like in London?

Swimsuit is very seasonal here but we hope to create something cool. I don’t really want to work for anyone else. I’ve been working freelance for many years so it would be difficult for me to go back to 9-5.

What brands do you look up to?

We love Minimale Animale. They fit so well and are basic. I was reading about the founder. Her story was crazy. She started her brand then it was in Sports Illustrated!