Alessandra Ambrosio Launches GAL Floripa Lifestyle Brand with Her BFFs: 'That Was Our Dream'

If you’re going to pursue your longtime dream, how better to do it than with your BFFs at your side!

Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio has launched GAL Floripa, a lifestyle brand highlighting swimwear (what better for a former Victoria’s Secret Angel and native Brazilian?). She embarked on the yearlong project with her younger sister Aline Ambrosio and best friend Gisele Cória — a collaboration that the three had been fantasizing about since they were little girls.

“We always had this dream. We grew up in Florianopolis, which is an island south of Brazil, and swim was always like our second skin. We were always in a swimsuit going from one beach to another and always wanted to have a bikini shop there one day. That was our dream when we were 18,” Ambrosio exclusively tells PEOPLE, adding that the name of their brand is a combination of the letters in their names (Gisele+ALessandra+ALine) and a tribute to their beloved beach spot.

Inspired by the place where they grew up, the women aspired to create a brand that would work for every woman, starting with their Galactic Sun collection that will feature one-piece and two-piece swimsuits with a ’70s-inspired “out of this world” vibe.

Alessandra had experience with swimwear design with her brand Ale by Alessandra, but she said designing her new line alongside her sister and friend – especially manufacturing the product in Brazil – made this process extra-special. “It was so much fun to create the collection. We chose our favorite cuts for the swimwear and from there chose colors and fabrics. We chose comfortable fabrics that had a little bit of shimmer and they’re a little bit iridescent,” she said. “We have four different types of bottoms and five different types of tops that you can kind of mix and match and just whatever makes your body feel comfortable and gives the nice shape that you’re looking for”.

Once they had the designs, the next project was coming up with a name for the collection – and it hit the 37-year-old model when she least expected it. “I was like re-watching one of my favorite movies, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty, and this song came up [on the soundtrack]. And there’s this part where it says ‘the galactic sun’ and I was like ‘Oh my God!’ So I called them – it was super late – and I was like ‘I got the name for the collection!’ And they were so excited and loved it,” she said.

Alessandra’s goal for the brand is to give her “soul sisters” around the world the opportunity to feel as comfortable as she does when wearing swimwear. “Everyone should feel good wearing a swimsuit because it shows your body,” she said. “You shouldn’t be self-conscious about it. We all have different shapes and need to embrace that. We need to love who we are because that’s all we have anyway. If we don’t love who we are, who are we going to love?”

GAL Floripa is launching with swimsuits and the star hopes to extend their selection in the future on products linked to health and natural ingredients — something else the trio is passionate about. The array of pieces are now available on galfloripa.com, with prices ranging from $88-228, just in time to start planning for spring break, summer, or whenever you need a warm weather getaway.

After all, Alessandra says: “We work all year long to take those vacations and we take those vacations and we go somewhere nice and warm and we need to feel as good as it gets.”