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.
My family witnessed first-hand the horrifying human impact on our innocent wildlife. We rescued three orphaned elephants whose mother was taken brutally from them and raised two lion cubs and an injured leopard as a result of poaching. We are the cause of so much pain and hardship that wildlife endures.
Tay-Bay bikinis turn these waste problems into fashion solutions.
Once we relocated to Mauritius, a tiny Island off the coast of Africa, I grew 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 continue 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 ethical 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…
The costumes come packaged in handmade, biodegradable Jute bags produced by a local NGO called Hope House, where a community of women on the Island sew these bags with care.
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 color and most importantly wearable! You can spend all day in these bikinis with the utmost comfort. The costumes come packaged in handmade, biodegradable Jute bags produced by a local NGO called Hope House, where a community of women on the Island sew these bags with care.
every single woman wearing the Tay-Bay range feels strong, confident & absolutely drop-dead gorgeous regardless of size.
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.
By supporting this environmentally-friendly product, you are doing your part in a much larger effort to save our oceans and educate others on the effects of discarded fishing nets, plastic and the pollution we are contaminating our oceans with.
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.
These dreamy, sustainable bikinis are from the heart of Mauritius. Let’s support each other and our planet together ❤
Videography filmed in Mauritius. Follow us on Instagram @Taybaybeachwear to see the results!