Celebrating International Women's Day | Beachly Highlights
Hey there, Beachly Tribe! Happy International Women's Day! If you've been a part of Beachly for a while, or if you're brand new, then you may have noticed that we love working with brands that are female-founded and showing off all the amazing work they have done in their fields.
Whether its clothing brands, innovators in skincare, or women who are spreading coastal vibes through their passions, we are always seeking empowered women to be included in our boxes and show off to our members! Today, we are taking the time to dive deeper into these brands and meet the founders of current and past brands. We asked these lovely ladies some questions about building a brand of their own and we are so excited to tell you all about them and their accomplishments!
Women of the Spring Box
This season's spring box is filled with women-owned brands that are brand new to Beachly and long-time friends that we are so excited to have back for another season! Ready to meet them? Let's dive in!
Poolside Paradiso with Daniella Ciano
What inspired the creation of Poolside Paradiso?
"After working in the surf industry as a designer for brands – billabong, rhythm and quiksilver…
I decided I wanted to create a brand for women that had grown up wearing surf brands like myself but now find those brands young and too corporate…
Most businesses I have worked are managed by men that don’t wear the product and dictated by spreadsheets / numbers / forecasts… - there’s none of that at Poolside Paradiso!"
Do you have any advice for women who are looking to start their own business?
"If you don’t want to work 24/7 – 7 days a week don’t bother… Learn as much as you can across all aspects of the business so you know exactly what’s required as the business grows.
There’ll be really hard days that you will feel like giving up… But if you are passionate like I am keep on going and the rewards will come! Remember… Rome wasn’t built in a day!!! That’s what I tell myself when I have those days."
What are you most proud of about Poolside Paradiso and where it is today?
"Creating a brand within 2 years that is stocked in stores across Australia and the USA and building our own Poolside community with women around the world loving what we are creating.
Receiving feedback from customers saying that the fit and quality is so great! It’s one thing to design and create a brand but to follow it through to fit and quality stages is super important and nice to hear that customers are noticing the attention to detail on fabric, silhouette, fit etc…"
Is there anything else you want to say to the Beachly Tribe who will be wearing your pieces this spring?
"We hope you enjoy the exclusive over swim style that we created with the lovely Beachly team!
Crafted in a super soft fabrication in our favourite Islander print in an a easy to wear style that will become your forever favourite!
Enjoy and have a great spring!!"
Post Surf Collective with Gabbie & Claire
What inspired the creation of Post Surf? What was the driving force behind the brand?
"In 2019 I, Claire (one of the co-founders) left my job in corporate fashion for a 6 month surf trip to Asia with the goal of finding space for myself away, to recover from burnout and draw inward with time to surf and focus on some more simple aspects of life. It ended up being such a transformational trip and sparked a lot of newfound creativity. A few months of the trip was spent surfing in a rather untouched surf destination: southern India.
I was surrounded by colorful saree silks and block printed fabrics everywhere I turned, and in between surfs, would go to local tailors and get a few pieces made here and there drawing on the inspiration all around. My childhood friend Gabbie and I had long talked about starting something together and had tossed around ideas here and there for years, but it wasn't until this time that the idea really started to take root. After much support and commentary from friends and strangers alike, asking where they could buy what we were making and taking interest in the pieces and designs, we eventually realized that this post surf ritual of creating things while traveling could turn into a little business. Our tagline since day one has been 'inspired by surf travels' and after getting things up and running together in the US, I am back to traveling and designing surf inspired pieces from afar 5 years later!
Do you have any advice for women who are looking to start their own business?
"Don’t wait for the right time to start a business because there really is no "right time" and likely the first products you put out are never going to be perfect! Let yourself make mistakes early on and be open to learning and growing from them every step of the way. We are always grateful that we started out super small, with such few units of every style and with our hands on every step of the process. It really allowed us to learn a lot about what our customers wanted from us and about our own roles in the business, and to be intentional about how we grew!"
What are you most proud about Post Surf and where it is today?
"We are super proud to say that after a very long friendship of 20+ years (we met in 4th grade!), starting Post Surf together has only grown our friendship. Creating a community and riding the ups and downs of business is fulfilling in its own ways, but maintaining a solid friendship through it all and creating alongside each other is something we always dreamed of doing together and we are really proud that we made it a reality! This year is bringing a lot of changes for Post Surf and a honing in of our brand. In some ways that means scaling back to allow growth in both current and new areas and we are really excited for this next era of Post Surf!"
Past-season Women-owned Brands
We can't forget all of the lovely ladies from boxes past that we have worked with! Let's dive in and re-visit some brands of the past and the amazing women who started these member-favorite brands.
Rays for Days with Cassie Palmeri
We asked Cassie some questions about Rays for Days and her experience building a brand...
What inspired the creation of Rays for Days? What was the driving force behind the brand?
"The everyday woman inspires our brand. Wherever she is in her life we want to make her look and feel her best. We felt a more feminine and effortless collection was missing from the market place, so, we created what we wanted to wear!"
Do you have any advice for women who are looking to start their own business?
"It's equal parts passion and hard work - make sure you're able to give 110% of both."
What are you most proud of about Rays for Days and where it is today?
"We are proud how good women FEEL in our collection. We see and hear all the time how well the pieces fit not only her body but in her lifestyle. We LOVE that Rays for Days has become a brand for travel and we love getting to explore the beauty of the world with our women!"
Is there anything else you want to say to the Beachly Tribe and will be wearing your pieces this Spring?
"We LOVE when our women tag us around the world - it’s so much fun to see how well Rays works into every aspect of your life! Keep taking us along for the ride.
xox RFD"
Island Haus Co. with Renee Gutzwiller
Island Haus Co. is another longtime friend of the brand! We featured them in our Winter 2021 box and they have been a consistent feature in our very own Member Market!
Where did Island Haus Co. start?
"Island Haus started when my husband and I moved to Charleston, SC back in 2016. We are midwesterners so our new home and lifestyle of living along the coast kept me more than inspired! I was working for a tech company in the area and my husband was in sales so he was traveling during the week, which left me with a lot of free time during the evenings so I started painting! Fast forward to 2019 I left my tech job and took on Island Haus full time and have never looked back. I think now what motivates me more than anything is my family. My husband and I have an almost 2 year old son and another on the way and I'm now seeing the world through his eyes and honestly I want them to be proud of me."
What would you tell women who are looking to start their own brand?
"The best advice I feel like I can give to other women looking to start their own business is to- Just do it! And to test the market before completely diving right in. I created stationery for all of my friends and family for a number of years and then one day my husband said I should really try to sell my work. I didn't feel like friends and family were a great example of my clientele so I created a small Etsy shop, started setting up at local farmers markets and only sold cards and art prints. - This was a great way to keep my cost low and to see if people even liked my designs. Once I felt confident in who my customers were and what they liked I started to expand on my products and designs to what it is today. So to circle back to your question I would say just start small- it's great to envision where you see your business going but no one starts at that point on day one."
If you could describe building a brand in 3 words, what would you choose and why?
"Consistency. Originality. Simplicity."
"Consistency, because when starting a brand you want to make sure the world knows who you are and who you are not. Originality, because why try to be someone you're not and often times when you aren't original it's so apparent. Simplicity, because having a more straight forward vision will only help your customers find you, understand you and keep coming back to you."
The Loomia with Nilay Sengun
If you love a cute, quality beach blanket, or even throw for your home, we just know that you are going to love The Loomia.
What inspired The Loomia and creating this brand?
"My husband Farhi and I co-founded The Loomia because we were sure that people would respond the way we do to the beauty of the textiles of Turkey. We were both living in Istanbul at the time and thought if we were to take a chance on a business that could build on both our skill sets, what would it be? We decided to select items that we thought were exquisitely beautiful and representative of the things we love about Turkish culture: the importance of the home and hospitality and a focus on the beauty of the Mediterranean."
Where do you see the future of The Loomia heading? What are you most excited for?
"Our future is really dependent on our keeping our products interesting, fresh, and high-quality. We are always looking for a unique mix of towels, blankets, and pillows that are unexpected. We have also received such a strong customer response to our cover-up and loungewear products that I am excited to continue sourcing new garments. An added bonus is that I have found many creators and small shops that are making the world a better place by treating their employees well, and by making ethical and sustainable garments."
Coral Sun with Cynthia Olson
Did you know Beachly also has a beauty box? That's right! This Spring, we have none other than Coral Sun, a reef-loving skincare and body-care brand that brings all the coastal, sunshine-vibes straight into your self-care routine.
What inspired you to build Coral Sun?
"I created Coral Sun after being in the industry of consulting with sun care/skin care lines for the last 15 years. I felt like making Coral Sun a hybrid of the things I loved about certain products and leave out the things I didn’t like. Many of the “reef-friendly” sun care is very whitening and leaves the skin with a white cast. I worked with our chemists and did over 8 iterations of the SPF 30 before I was happy with it. So we were able to develop a “non-whitening” SPF that is all natural and safe for the environment. The other part of why I developed Coral Sun is that my father and mother in law were both diagnosed with Melenoma in the same year and it made my completely change how I use SPF products. I never liked to use them before so I wanted to develop a brand I wanted to use that is safe for you and the environment."
You mentioned that Coral Sun focuses on reef-friendly products. What drove you to take this extra step and initiate it in the business?
"The biggest thing that drove me to produce reef friendly products is that the coral reefs are being decimated by chemicals, pollution, etc. Our focus was to have products that stand for being “conscious” of our impact on our planet. I never like reef friendly products that were mineral based because of the whitening so I knew there was a major need to push development for SPF’s."
What advice do you have to offer to women looking to start their own brand?
"Take a deep breath and believe in your mission. You are making a conscious effort to launch a business for a cause that is dear to your heart and ultimately will be a solution for thousands of people. There is thought and a purpose for what you are doing. Believe in yourself! It WILL happen... (maybe buy a black and white jersey and a whistle because you will feel like you are reffing every move your company makes) hahaha."
Pursuit with Alana Blanchard
Created by professional surfer, Alana Blanchard, Pursuit was founded with the mission to make sun and skin protection effortless. They are all about clean, simple skincare.
Why did you start Pursuit?
"We started Pursuit to make it easy to get your sun and skincare and that's why I am so excited that Beachly and Pursuit are teaming up because Beachly picks the best of the best!"
Salt + Umber with Jenny LaVelle + Susie Bergquist
Salt + Umber is yet another longtime friend of the brand. They have been featured in our fall 2022 box up to our winter 2023 box!
What was the driving force behind the creation of Salt + Umber?
"I’ve been a footwear product developer since I graduated college, which gave me an inside look at the fast-fashion business. As the fashion industry is notorious for over-production, one-season wears resulting in extreme amounts of waste, chemicals, and in turn an overall negative impact on the environment. I also found that there was a huge disconnect between the production process, the people who actually make the shoes, and the end consumer.
At that time, there weren’t many sustainable footwear brands that were accessible in the market, and wanted to create one. My passion for designing, inspired me to create a more eco-friendly and ethical solution to the problem.
Directly partnering with our artisans in India allows us to give our customers transparency and honesty. All of our woven styles are handmade by women in India which gives them additional opportunities and the ability to have their own source of income. Salt+umber's goal is to tell our customers the story behind the shoes, including how they are made, what they are made of, and who made them.
The inspiration for the brand name, salt + umber, came from my love of nature and travel. The name comes from taking two important earth minerals (salt+umber) which evokes feelings of the ocean + earth, which are key elements of our ethos and aesthetic."
What are 4 things you would tell someone looking to start their own brand?
1. Don’t be scared to start, start small, start where you are today with what you have. If I would have waited until everything was perfect to start, I would have never started.
Here at Beachly, we think it is so important to support and empower women in the industry. International Women's Day is such an important day where attention is brought to gender equality, reproductive rights, highlighting women, and much more.
We are honored to be working with such amazing ladies season over season and cannot wait for all of you to get these pieces made from the brands and ladies we love!
Don't forget - you can unlock access to shop all of their stores directly when your check out the Member Deals page on your Beachly account home page! There, you can unlock exclusive discounts from all these well-loved brands and more.
Not a part of Beachly yet? You can join today and get the Beachly Welcome box where some of these ladies and many more are featured! We even have an exclusive $20 off your first box, just use the code BLOOM at checkout!
