We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Doris McCandless a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Doris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was 17 when I first made my very own custom made swimsuit to wear in a local beauty pageant. I wanted to have something unique, something that made me feel comfortable and confident while wearing it. I wanted other women to experience the same feeling I had. That’s when IYOSWIMWEAR is born, “IYO” is a tagalog word means “yours” “for you”. I started making custom made suits for models, TV celebrities back in my home country (Philippines) I know how hard it is to find something that fits perfectly. Having something that’s made specifically for you is so special.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m Doris Diaz McCandless, born and raised in the Philippines. I came to US about 13 years ago… I started with my designs when I was 17 years old. I design swimsuits, they’re all custom made. So far I’ve handmade more than 4,000 swimsuit. What makes them special is that every design is made with women in mind, I wanted to make them comfortable, one of a kind and that whoever wears feels like they’re wearing a very expensive piece of jewelry that they wear in the water, or just lounge around the pool area. I did few fashion shows over the years and built a good amount of customer base. They love the experience of having their swimsuits made for them. I also treat all of my customers like a friend.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect to me is when I get messages from customers, how they love their custom swimsuits and that they get a lot of compliments on it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society should give small business and artists more opportunity to try their products. As a small business owner I strive really hard to give my customers the best quality and experience. Small business owners listens to their customers and give all to make them feel special and not just a number of sales. Plus when they’re supporting local artist they’re helping the ecosystem by not wasting so much materials/products.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: iyoswimwear
• Facebook: It’sYourObsessionSwimwear

Image Credits
Recoded shadows Doug Douglas CapturedMe