Jo Lathwood; Fashion Name

Jo Lathwood, a designer who created lines of sportswear for Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Cole of California and White Stag and who introduced her version of the bikini on the sands of Santa Monica more than 40 years ago, has died at her home in that beach city.

She was 85 when she died Wednesday.

An inveterate traveler, many of her fabrics were inspired by the tropical foliage and colors she saw on her trips to the South Pacific. She also had established a small art gallery at her home on Channel Road, where her paintings also reflected her journeys.

A co-founder with Alice Gowland of Citizens for Cleaner Beaches, a group that worked toward making the public more aware of keeping trash off the sand, she came to clothes designing after a practice suit she made for a dance class became popular as a swimsuit.

A memorial service will be held Sunday at 8 a.m. at Santa Monica State Beach.