Model and media personality Serene Russell, who appeared on season 26 of The Bachelor and season 8 of Bachelor in Paradise, recently announced her brand new collection with White Rose Swim that will be released this month!
Spotlight sat down with Russell to hear all about her brand new White Rose Swim collection, her Bachelor era, and what’s next for her!
You have appeared on both the Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. How did you get your start on these shows?
It’s kind of a crazy story! I had two friends who didn’t know each other at all submit me for the show. They both told me after they did it. Some little comments had been made, but they both actually did it! When I found out, I was like “Well, what picture did you use?” I needed all the information.
They both used the same image of me in a hair salon from a year prior. I thought, “Well, maybe this is a sign that this is meant to be.” I was teaching at the time and I got a call about two weeks before we started filming—it was all very quick.
Would you ever consider going on the Bachelor or Bachelor in Paradise again? Why or why not?
I would have to revisit that if the opportunity ever presented itself. I’ve had really good experiences with the Bachelor franchise, it changed my life. I met so many incredible people that I still stay in contact with. I think it’ll come down to where I’m at in life. It’s not a hard no!
You have become a media personality. What type of message do you want to send with your content?
Being yourself, whatever that means for you, and being lighthearted is what I want to do. I used to be very curated on Instagram and social media in general. After being on reality TV, I’ve really started to show people another side of my personality. I want to show the good and bad days.
How have you used social media to build your brand? Did you ever dream that you would become the media star that you are?
No, never! All of this has changed my life. I actually have a degree in media so it’s been really fun getting to work in my degree field.
You are launching a capsule collection with White Rose Swim this month. Why is this collaboration important to you?
First and foremost, I love, love, love swimwear. I would live in a bikini if I could. I have always wanted to do something like this. I’ve never been able to tap into this creative side of myself before. I’ve been working on this for months! White Rose was so helpful, but they really let me take the reigns.
I was originally only supposed to do one suit, but I had so many ideas it turned into a capsule collection! It’s all about being comfortable and confident—and bikinis just make me happy!
If you could describe your collection with White Rose Swim in three words, what would they be?
Sustainable, fun, and retro!
What was your inspiration behind this collection with White Rose Swim?
I have so many bikinis from so many different brands. I’ve also always spent my money on bikinis. It sounds so silly, but when I was living paycheck to paycheck as a teacher, I found joy in buying bikinis for summer.
Fashion-wise, I wanted to do something more retro. These past few years I’ve really gotten into color—I used to wear only black, white, or tan. I tried to come up with designs that I didn’t already have myself. I am so excited to wear all of the bikinis!
However, my favorite part is that the bikinis are sustainable. They are made from recycled yarn and plastic bottles. It doesn’t sacrifice the color or quality of the bikini—they’re really high quality. I am really proud of how eco-friendly the collection is.
What’s next for you?
I am trying to decide what’s next for myself, myself. I am coming up on a year of living back in my hometown, just finished the swim collection, and have some exciting projects coming up in the future!
