 With the fabric shortage still in place and in an endeavour to resurrect swimwear sales, two French designers – Jacques Heim and Louis Réard – almost simultaneously launched their new two-piece swimsuit ranges in 1946. Heim launched his two-piece swimsuit in Paris which he called the atome, after the smallest known particle of matter. He advertised the Atome as the world's "smallest bathing suit". At about the same time, Louis Réard created a competing two-piece swimsuit design, which he called the bikini.
