We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Odoms recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

The start of my business came from a personal need. As a “top heavy” woman I could never find swimwear that was affordable, cute/trendy, AND supportive. So originally, I began making swimwear for myself then my close friends started to want a bathing suit and I made a couple which turned into a handful of bathing suits. I did have intentions to start selling swimwear in 2020 when I taught myself how to sew but I was not ready physically, meaning my sewing capabilities, or financially. So I waited and during that year, I began to prepare myself for actually putting out my first collection which was called the Sunset collection that featured three designs all reversible swimwear, a few cover ups, sunglasses, and scrunchies. I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor with an in-ground pool who allowed me to have my photoshoot there! It went well. I released the collection and sold a good amount of products that summer. Now currently, I released my Blue Moon Collection which is a continuation of the Sunset collection and in its entirety called the Soluna collection. In order for me to get to this point, I had to save up money to buy the fabrics and materials which I saved up for in my junior year of college. While releasing my first collection immediately after graduation, I had to really push to separate the idea of who I was in college versus the woman, the designer, the brand I was beginning to create after graduation.

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 got into the sewist community during COVID. I picked up a hobby probably like most people at the time. I was 20 when I started teaching myself how to sew. Because my brand is handmade at the moment, I can provide my customers the choice to customize an existing to design to fit their body, style, etc. or they can make a brand new design with me and have a one-of-a-kind swimsuit. My pieces are 100% reversible, meaning that you get two bathing suits in one which also changes the design once you turn it inside out. This way you won’t have to bring 10 bathing suits on a vacation to have different looks and pay for a checked bag. Instead you could bring 3 with 2-3 cover ups. You can switch it up with the pieces and the prints and everyday it would look like you have on a completely different swimsuit! I am extremely proud of being a one woman band with my business for the most part. Teaching myself a valuable skill such as sewing and putting it into a growing business that I run on my own is amazing. While still having a job, being in school, and living. It’s truly a blessing. The main thing I want people to know about me and my brand is that it is truly made from the heart and aims to be the best swimsuit you have ever worn. Even if it’s not, you have the ability to change it with a quick email. Regardless of how much I continue to upscale this business, that will never change.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This journey of being a black woman designer and breaking into such an uncommon market where Ilive is very challenging. I constantly fight my inner thoughts that I am not good enough, that my business isn’t necessary, that people don’t like it. What really keeps my resilience strong is my faith. I truly believe that I wouldn’t be given this talent and discover it when I did if I wasn’t suppose to use it in some way shape or form.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I sell online on my Shopify website. The pros are that its easy to set up and understand. the site has a lot of apps that you an add to your store to help your business grow. Like review, barcode add-ons, email marketing etc. The cons I would say is getting the traction to the website. A lot of people prefer to speak directly to you and would even rather pay for the product through cash app or Apple Pay than to pay for it online.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.tayloroswim.com
• Instagram: Http://www.instagram.com/tayloroswim
• Other: TikTok: @tayloroswim Pinterest @tayloroswim

Image Credits
Photographers: Lynn @lbattlephoto Alexis @byaleksy