Taylor-Jane Bennett – Founder Tay-Bay
Tay-Bay Origin
from Taylor-Jane Bennett – Founder, Designer
Having grown up in some of the remote corners of Africa – from a very young age I was taught to be environmentally conscious and respectful of Mother Earth.
In 2019 I relocated to Mauritius, a tiny island off the coast of Africa. Living on the island I grew more and more concerned for marine life.
There are magical creatures we often forget about that live just below the water in our expansive oceans. ‘Ghost nets’ are discarded and abandoned fishing nets at the bottom of the ocean that continues to catch fish and other marine animals without human involvement. Sharks, dolphins, seals and turtles suffer and die as a result of their entanglement in these nets. This is a global concern.
I thought to myself, how can I best help to protect and conserve marine life?
Through a gratifying project, by creating up-cycled ethically sustainable swimwear, was my answer. 640 thousand tons of fishing nets are abandoned at the bottom of the ocean so Tay-Bay bikinis turn these waste problems into fashion solutions. A small part to play in a much bigger picture – but each small act makes a difference, right? This is my start…
Not only are Tay-Bay bikinis completely sustainable and produced from recycled fishing nets but they are also damn cute.
The material is super silky-soft, rich in colour and most importantly wearable! You can spend all day in these bikinis with the utmost comfort.
Not to mention I have designed this range of bikinis with a love for my fellow ladies out there – it is tough having the flawless body images we are pressured to live up to and the negative influence social media has on us. My key objective is to ensure every single woman wearing the Tay-Bay range feels strong, confident & absolutely drop-dead gorgeous regardless of size. This is my promise to you! I hope you wear this bikini with pride – showing off all your beautiful curves.
This is just the dawn of what’s to come too, I have many other future projects up my sleeve to build on, involving beach cleanups, children’s awareness programs and oil spill rehabilitation.
Videography filmed in Mauritius. Follow us on Instagram @Taybayswim to see the results!