Sauvage Swim, La Jolla, Calif.

It can be a nightmare for some, of course. But Sauvage Swimwear in La Jolla, Calif., wants to make all customers feel comfortable and sexy in its fashionable, minimalist environment.

Designers at Graham Downes Architecture (San Diego) chose a white background, simple zebrawood millwork and a flexible wall fixture system to best display the product, allowing the colors, fabrics and designs to stand out. “The minimalism is analogous to the near-nakedness associated with wearing a swimsuit,” says Graham Downes, principal-in-charge for the firm. “A busy background would appear cluttered.”

The neutral design also lends an elegant feel through soft reflective finishes and flattering, color-correct lighting.

For those reluctant shoppers, heavy velvet curtains hide dressing rooms where individual doors face each other instead of baring all to the sales floor.

And if a shopper’s a little more bold? Zebrawood catwalks spice up the sexiness and bring the runway to the beach.

Client: Sauvage Swimwear, La Jolla, Calif. — Simon Southwood, owner; Betsy Southwood, owner

Design/Architect: Graham Downes Architecture Inc., San Diego — Graham Downes, principal-in-charge; Caryn Bailey, project manager; Linda Nguyen, designer

General Contractor: Stone & Nelson Construction, El Cajon, Calif.

Fixtures: Maximum Visibility Inc., Topanga, Calif.

Flooring: Eurowest Decorative Surfaces, Anaheim, Calif.

Lighting: CS Illumination, Encinitas, Calif.

Mannequins/Forms: King Manichini, Carpi, Italy

Fabric: Fabricut, Tulsa, Okla.; Kravet San Diego, San Diego; Workplace Services, San Diego

Photography: BHAUSmedia, San Diego