Anyone can start a business, but not everyone can start one with meaning. Alyssa Levesque created StraitSwim after experiencing Island life with her long time partner, Australian basketballer for the San Antonio Spurs, Patty Mills.
Patty’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture is a strong part of his everyday life, and has now become a big part of Alyssa’s life as well. Since her very first ferry ride from Horn Island to Thursday Island, Alyssa has been impassioned by the culture.
Catching her first fish on a reef off Prince of Wales, performing a traditional dance at a big celebration event, and even learning some secret Island recipes, Alyssa was uplifted by the Torres Strait. Combining her experiences with a true passion for fashion, the gorgeous swimwear from StraitSwim was born.
Born and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, founder Alyssa has created stylish swimsuits, whilst capturing the unique culture of the Islands and people. Telling a story in each design, StraitSwim uses high-end fabrics and simple, clean comfortable cuts to frame the body. All prints are hand drawn with water colour by a local Australian artist and each print is sold with a story.
On a mission to fuse traditional island culture with the style of a modern boho beach babe, StraitSwim also inspires with its motto of ‘Namaslay Instead’.
For 21 days, StraitSwim will be donating 21% of all profits to 21 USVI Hurricane Help. For more information on this campaign go to http://straitswim.com/journal/hurricane-relief-campaign/.
Live in the sunshine and swim in the sea with the Island Gypsy inspired designs from StraitSwim. To find out more and shop the different styles, visit http://straitswim.com.
