It began with a daydream and a class report in the 7th grade. Now, Joanna Kinsman is living — and working — the dream. She hasn’t quit her day job yet as a partner in an e-commerce Internet marketing firm. But the Windham resident — who grew up in Minot and then Fryeburg before going to the University of New Hampshire for a business degree — has plunged into the fashion world.

In June, she launched her first swimwear collection, under the Miss Kinsman label, at an event in Boston. In a month or two, she expects to be selling her luxury swimwear at boutiques and at MissKinsman.com. Big dream. Tiny product.

Name: Joanna Kinsman

Age: 26

Do you have a nickname? A lot of guys tend to call me “Jo” — I can be really girly, but don’t mind being treated like one of the guys too!

Hometown: I lived in Minot until I was 10, then moved to Fryeburg.

What do you miss most about Minot. The people there were really nice — we had a lot of friends and everyone was just so kind. There was literally no negativity in my world there, so when I moved to Fryeburg and was the new kid in school I got picked on and didn’t know how to handle it. It wasn’t an easy transition. Thankfully I recovered. 😉

What’s your earliest memory of wanting to do something in fashion? In 7th grade I wrote a report on becoming a fashion designer, ironically since I was clueless as to how to dress myself! In high school I designed my prom dresses and other clothes and accessories that my mom would make for me. I didn’t realize that I was doing anything out of the ordinary at the time, but looking back I’m sure this greatly propelled my inclination to become a designer. It didn’t occur to me that this would be a path I’d follow until only about a year ago, and the fact that this is all becoming a reality is still sinking in!

Where do you think that interest comes from? My mom was a professional seamstress for a designer, so that certainly helped. I think everyone is artistic in some way — whether it be music, photography, painting . . . I never took to music (we didn’t have a music program in Minot, but my dad was a drummer in a successful band in Boston) and I’m a terrible drawer, but I guess I have a creative mind when it comes to fashion.

Describe that moment when you realized “Wait, maybe I really could do something with my love of fashion design”? To be honest, when I was living in San Diego I came across a girl who was selling swimwear — just two styles and two different fabrics, neither of which I felt set them apart from any other swimwear on the market. And I realized that I didn’t need a manufacturer or a ton of capital. Bikini designs became the last thing I thought about when I went to sleep and the first thing I thought about when I woke up — so I started drawing my designs. I realized I could get my samples made by a local seamstress and take orders one at a time until I was ready to invest in inventory. It’s a very lean startup model that takes a bit more time, but so far so good, thanks to my recent launch!

What exactly is “luxury swimwear”? Luxury swimwear is of a quality and attention to detail that is above your average department store. Each style is unique, and made at the level upon which custom orders for fabrics and designs will be made available but likely not advertised. If someone liked one of the styles but wanted it in a different color, that can certainly be arranged — you can’t do that with most swimwear. I’m using a lot of lace and pearls in my designs, and will be offering a variety of collections, including lingerie-inspired, which is my primary focus to start. I’m also working on nautical bikinis and some more fun, colorful pieces that will be added soon!

When will people be able to buy your designs, and where? I’m making a big push to have the swimwear ready to sell online within one to two months. I’ve been working so hard at the logo, business cards, samples, sizing, getting them shot, etc. — now I’m focusing on the less-fun aspects, like labels, legal stuff, shipping, etc. I’ll be selling from MissKinsman.com, as well as boutiques.

If this first line goes well, what next? Will I be emailing you in Paris — if I get through your spam filter? Haha. I’m really excited to get my pieces into small independently owned shops, starting locally, and eventually throughout the U.S. and all over the world! There are a lot of aspects to bear in mind when selling overseas, in terms of their style, language, customs, seasons, etc., so this will be an exciting challenge. . . . I’d like to sell Miss Kinsman swimwear through a catalogue, have fashion shows, a fashion magazine spread — the sky’s the limit! Maybe you can come to Paris to cover my fashion show if I make it there!

Any advice to young people with a dream? In my experience as a virtual assistant in San Diego, I learned from one client to “take imperfect action.” I see a lot of people making excuses (time, money, experience, etc.) for not going after their dreams, but it’s these limiting beliefs that are holding people back. I encourage anyone with a dream to go for it — launch or create whatever it is that you wish to pursue. Then you can grow from there. But once you start something small and put that intention out there, you’ll be surprised by how fast things can happen!