Founder in focus : falak burch, iloshe swim
I had the pleasure of speaking with Falak who is the founder of sustainable swimwear brand Iloshe swim. Falak who is Maldivian and based in USA creates each piece of eco friendly swimwear in her home studio. Each small batch is made with attention to detail and this is exactly why I chose Falak to be our very first founder in focus. I wanted to explore the road less travelled and bring to light the founders who are taking production into their own hands. There are many options when wanting to start a product based business and the decision to create your own products is not for everyone. Here’s what Falak had to say about the ups and downs of a handmade swimwear business…
So Falak, what made you decide to create handmade pieces rather than seeking a factory to produce your designs?
When exploring my options I found that working with a factory would be too expensive for my budget. I didn’t want to take out a loan to produce stock so made to order made sense. I also wanted to find an ethical factory that used sustainable fabrics, which I did but it wasn’t local( making it less eco friendly). I actually enjoy the process of sewing and also fell in love with the fact that made to order means less waste. It also means that I can alter the designs myself when I want, and can offer customers flexibility in terms of tweaking styles and colours.
What's the most rewarding thing about creating the pieces that you sell?
It has to be the reviews that I get from customers. There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing something you created is bringing someone joy.
What’s the most challenging part of a made to order business model ?
The cutting process! This could be different for different people but for me it’s the cutting process. I don’t enjoy it and unfortunately it’s so time consuming. Maybe if you had a small team it wouldn’t be as much of a problem but when you run the show by yourself it can be a pain.
Not everyone has the skillset to pattern cut and sew their own designs. Did you take any courses or seek out resources to learn how?
Yes! I do have a degree in fashion design however we didn’t learn about swimwear product specifically. I did ALOT of YouTube research, honestly YouTube has so many good tutorials anyone can learn from if you know the sewing basics. I’ve also bought basic patters from Etsy ( the ones with good reviews ) and altered them to the style I like. I then made every size and asked friends to try them on and I learned from that. There were lots of mistakes and even more hard work but that’s how you learn. Because I wanted to make my own patterns I did take an online swimwear pattern making course. There aren’t many places teaching swimwear making but I found iatechnical.com. They use a metric system and this confused me alot!
For founders who are thinking of sewing their own designs do you have any tips/lessons you’d like to pass on?
Of course ! The first being that you do not need to learn everything about pattern cutting but you do need at least a basic understanding. Find a basic one piece from Etsy and sew every size, try them on friends and once you’re happy alter that pattern to create your own styles. You could also trace your sports bra for example- which I often do and then grade them. There isn’t alot of information out there for grading swimwear so I’m thinking of creating a YouTube tutorial or something so people don’t struggle like I did.
Invest in a serger ( over locker ) It doesn't have to be expensive or even fancy. Mine cost me $150
Fabric sourcing can be challenging for a lot of founders new to the industry. How was the fabric sourcing process for you?
It was a huge struggle. It was not easy for me especially looking for eco friendly swimwear fabric in the USA. I tried to contact other swimwear designers too, and they were not comfortable sharing their “big secret” supplier. There was lots confusion, I didn’t know what gsm I needed, or what type of stretch was best fit for me etc etc.
I googled eco friendly swimwear fabric, found a couple of companies making them in Europe, I sent them a nice email and they directed me towards their USA supplier. I contacted the USA supplier and shamelessly asked as many questions as I could. Bought a sample yardage to test the quality and that is how I finally found the fabric I loved.
I get mine from solid stonefabrics.com and it is called carvico vita.
The swimwear market is a saturated one. What do you focus on to make sure that Iloshe stands out ?
I focus on creating a swimwear brand that promotes regular body types and educates on mental health and sustainability. I also aim to focus on body neutrality rather than body positivity.
I try to use my friends as my models most of the time, some of them are shorter than 5 feet tall and have a fit physique because I was a cross fitter my friends are super fit.
I try not to take myself too seriously, I like to keep it real and simple. I’m just a regular girl running a small business. I’m making mistakes and learning from it.
Everything is reversible - so you get two in one.
One of the less appealing elements of made to order swimwear for customers can be the amount of time they need to wait for it to be made. Do you feel as though you have a streamlined process? What does that look like?
I offer 2-3 weeks of production time, this is because I am not entirely sure how many orders I will get that week. I usually send orders within a week or shorter (if I’m not traveling). This means that customers get the product sooner and that would make anyone happy, wouldn’t it haha.
Sustainability is clearly important to you and you have chosen to use Econyl fabric. Why is sustainability important to you?
I haven’t always understood the importance of sustainability and was very ignorant about environmental pollution that the fashion industry created. What opened my eyes to sustainability was an internship I did in London with a sustainable brand.Also the documentary “True Cost” it was free on Netflix but due to popularity of the show they monetized it. It is a really good one if you want to start learning on the negative effects of fast fashion. I however have not finished watching the documentary because it made me too emotional.
I also started part time job as a seamstress for a sustainable local brand when I moved to the US in 2018.All the dots connected then, and I decided that I love creating and fashion but there is a better way to do it by being mindful about the process and the materials used.
What are your dreams for the future of iloshe swimwear?
First, building Iloshe swimwear to make an above average income.
Hiring a sweet and small team to help me with cutting and marketing process.
Having a brick and mortar store in a beach town - maybe the Keys in Florida.
Support a non profit organization for mental health
Offer classes to people who want to learn making swimwear
Offer pattern making classes
Are you a swimwear business founder with a story to share? Please reach out we’d love to hear about your journey so far.
Email : theswimwearstartup@hotmail.com