Made with love and care: Splüsh Swim speaks on building community and disrupting norms
words by Brooke Kaufman, photos via @splushswim
★
To say Splüsh is revolutionary is an understatement; to say it reflects long-awaited change in swimwear and the retail industry feels underwhelming.
The black-owned, women-owned, Gen-Z brand was founded by sisters-turned-business-partners Alice and Julia Thomas. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Splüsh is unique in its tireless devotion to representing and reflecting the fluctuating needs of its consumer base. Inclusivity and accountability are the founding elements of the brand driving its escalating commitment to ethical design and production. From inception to sale, Splüsh products are meant to acknowledge each individual that encounters or benefits from their creation.
Beyond its role as an independent business looking to disrupt the current reality of fashion, Splüsh is actively shifting expectations regarding the portrayal of girlhood and femininity. The brand’s website is decorated with portraits of women and young people that are so respectful, so intimate, that you begin to wonder if the model-photographer relationship has been surpassed, or interrupted by the deep admiration shared only by friends.
Splüsh is holistic and mindful in ways we can only hope become mainstream. Its continued success will not be the fortunate luck of its humble beginnings, but the effect of the care and determination the Thomas sisters have recognized in themselves and imbued within their brand.
What are the origins of Splüsh: the name, ethical production, design inspiration, and general ethos of the brand?
The name was inspired by the Sploosh product from the movie Holes, starring our king Shia Labeouf. The movie was one of our favorites growing up and the messaging still speaks to us to this day. Holes is about family, entrepreneurship, and breaking generational curses. Kissin’ Kate Barlow was a hero to us, as she challenged societal norms and demonstrated the complexities of femininity. One moment she’s selling peaches and teaching children, and the next she’s robbing banks and shooting racists. So, we stan, and we hope that our brand projects a similar vibe.
Why go into business as sisters and what are the advantages of working with family?
We know and trust each other, which is key in any business relationship. We have similar visions but different strengths, which allows us to execute our vision from our own unique perspectives. It’s also just fun.
“We know and trust each other, which is key in any business relationship.”
You describe your products as being ethically made. What do these design and production processes look like? How can these methods be more broadly adopted to limit the discriminatory, environmentally-harmful practices of fast fashion?
All of our products are made in Downtown Los Angeles. Our sewers are paid a living wage and on time. It was important to us that the people who make our products weren’t being exploited, as they are in much of the world. With everything that’s going on in Bangladesh right now, I think it’s important that brands ensure their manufacturers are enforcing ethical standards for their work.
We’re working on becoming a more sustainable brand, because that’s also very important to us. We have eliminated plastics from our packaging and are working on using more sustainable materials during production. Our upcoming resort collection will be made with recycled fabrics and materials.
What are some messages you hope to convey through your company?
We hope to convey inclusivity, self-love, and community. But more than anything, we want to show the complexities of girlhood. We’re fighting against the narrow definition of femininity. We want to show that you can rock a hyper-feminine swimsuit, but still have badass tattoos or skateboard or do whatever you want really. We don’t want girls to feel boxed in; we want girls to experience real freedom and autonomy in who they are.
What does your model/brand ambassador selection look like?
Splush is a community; so honestly, whoever likes our brand can model for us. We never really pick anyone and it often happens organically. All of our models and influencers have been fans of the brand who expressed interest in wanting to be part of it. Most of them just sent us a DM on instagram saying they liked our vibe.
“We want women to feel good about who they are, what they’re wearing, where it’s coming from, and the message behind it.”
What inspired the featured apparel collection? Do you think Splüsh will continue to expand its product offerings?
The logo on the sweatshirts was inspired by the graffiti at Venice Beach. The rollout of the collection was really inspired by our friends who skateboard. It’s such a male-dominated industry, so it’s refreshing to see women be fearless and dope on their boards. And again, it really aligns with the ethos of our brand.
And yes, we will be expanding our product offerings. We consider ourselves to be more of a lifestyle brand, so stay tuned for more California and beach-inspired wear.
What do you think is the importance of Splüsh as a Black-owned business in the retail industry? Do you think fashion is moving towards greater inclusivity and the valuing of independent creatives such as yourselves?
We are in an industry that’s dominated by white folks. Swimwear, in particular, has a very white face. Growing up, all the swimwear ads I saw featured skinny white girls. Even going to the beach felt like a white space. We think that representation can help change the norms of the industry, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish with Splüsh. There’s definitely a lot of room for black businesses in the industry, and there’s still a lot of work to be done. We hope that our brand can help push the needle towards more inclusivity and equity in the industry.
I think fashion is moving towards a more indie future. Our generation is beginning to feel disillusioned by the environmentally and socially-harmful effects of the industry. We are able to discern between companies pushing “diversity and environmentalism” as a PR strategy and those that are genuinely trying to change the status quo. Independent brands have been pushing the industry forward and have a real chance at disrupting the business of fashion.
What are your hopes for the burgeoning community of Splüsh consumers, representatives, and creative partnerships? Is there a specific direction you see the company heading? Are growth and fluidity over time ideals you value as brand directors?
We hope to build a larger, more inclusive community. We know that we can do better at including more underrepresented customers, but we want the brand to grow at a natural pace. We also want to have better engagement with our community, so that we can best understand what customers are looking for.
What advice would you share with fellow creatives and young entrepreneurs looking to launch brands or form companies of their own?
Just do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t need a million followers, or a perfect website, or mass amounts of product. You just need an idea that you believe in and the motivation to follow through on that idea. Start small, build it, and they will come.
What’s one thing you want people to take away from your story and company?
We want women to feel good about who they are, what they’re wearing, where it’s coming from, and the message behind it.