#WCW: Martha Duerr & Naomi Gassel, Founders of Pali Swim

Dynamic duo Martha Duerr & Naomi Gassel are the co-founders of Pali Swim, which is an amazing swimwear brand that focuses on bringing super cute bathing suits to women of all body types, while still being comfortable and affordable. Their company also places a great emphasis on keeping their production green by using recycled materials to package and reducing the number of samples they produce for each piece that they create. So when you buy from them you get a cuuute new bathing suit and you can feel good about it! We had the opportunity to interview these fearless founders to learn more about what inspires them and their favorite things about creating Pali Swim!

What are you energized by/ what motivates you to do what you do? The same feeling of jumping through a wave; it’s the fear, the excitement, the rush of the unknown that energizes us to keep going.

Most interesting thing you learned while working? As small business owners, we wear so many swim caps. It has been so interesting to learn trades we never would have expected. We find ourselves acting as lawyers, accountants, sales, PR and sometimes if we are really desperate, models.

What inspired you to start Pali Swim and how long have you been operating? Four years ago when we were both working at Levi’s, we discovered a shared love of the ocean and a desire for fashion forward swimwear that makes us feel as comfortable and free as the water does. We launched our first collection of actively minded, expertly crafted swimwear for Spring/Summer 2016.

How do you want people to feel when they experience your swimsuits? Comfortable, confident and carefree.

What do customers rave about the most/the most popular & what’s your favorite? We’ve had a lot of feedback that it’s the first suit people have owned in a long time that makes them feel confident. The most popular are the Kokomo one piece, and our Marco top with the high waisted Bodega bottoms. And a mom never chooses a favorite child.

If you had to come up with three words to describe the culture of your brand that you want to create, what would they be? Casually confident, inclusive, stoked.

If you could give advice to yourself 5 years ago, what would it be? It’s a lot harder to continue to think about doing something than just doing it.

What are you most excited about in the future? In the immediate future, we are stoked about our SS18 lineup — new silhouettes, colors, textured ribbed fabrics inspired by prismatic summers spent with family on crowded east coast beaches. Long Term, we are excited to see more people in Pali — our ultimate goal is to make swimwear and lifestyle products for everyone. Pets included.

What is your favorite woman-owned brand or product right now? We are currently obsessed with Sonoma brand, Primavera Tamales, started and handmade by Karen Waikiki. Avocado sold separately.

Looking for more local businesses to support for the summer? Join Present!