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Dessy Hairis, Creative Director and Founder of Bydee, formed the brand in its initial iteration in 2013. Obsessed with swimwear and inspired by her Mediterranean roots, Dessy built Bydee from a market stall into an internationally recognized brand. Born, raised and based in Sydney, Australia, the founder’s favorite part of the creative process remains all about the detail. Drawing inspiration from her travels, each new collection is designed to transport the global Bydee Babes to their dream destination. Dessy is now lucky enough to travel around the world gathering inspiration and shooting new collections. Read below for more on Dessy’s journey!
Tell me about Bydee!
Bydee is a swimwear and resort brand. We are known for our printed swimwear, which makes up most of the business. We put so much love and thought into all of our collections, which can be seen in our custom design prints. It takes weeks, sometimes even months, to undergo the design and production process. Even our charms are all designed and tailored in house – every single collection has its own, unique charms, and they either include a little message or an element from the print.
We also work with REPREVE® yarn, which is made from post consumer materials. We have quite a big emphasis on sustainability across the business and that ranges all the way through, from our purchase plans to packaging and the fabrics. We really pride ourselves in our sustainable practices as a business. If you look closely, you’ll notice a little REPREVE® certification tag on our swimwear, which shows that that garment was made with a specific kind of yarn.
We started with swimwear and intimates. I used to sew little bralettes and swim pieces together and sell them at the market. As we transitioned to an online space, we saw that swimwear is what people really want, especially our international babes. So we transformed into a swimwear and resort brand – we really want to be that one stop shop for people who are booking their next holiday destination.
I love how detail and design focused your brand is. Tell me what led you to those two pillars and when you became interested in those practices.
Growing up, there was always a sewing machine around. My mom was an avid sewer, so she really introduced me to the craft. From scrapbooking and origami to cardmaking and jewelry, I was surrounded by creativity. My mom used to take part in a market where she’d sell her jewelry and I used to have a little table beside her where I'd sell my handmade cards. All the way through to university assignments, I always focused on things like hand embroidered pieces or beaded elements. I just love all the little touches that make something feel so special. And I really love to be able to tell a story through the Bydee collections, which is often done through the details. Even our whole packaging experience – I want everyone who gets their piece to feel like it’s their own little work of art.
What differentiates you from other brands in the industry?
Other than our attention to detail, we’re also really customer focused. Our Bydee Babes influence everything that we do. I started the business selling at a local market, so I quickly learned who our customer was through those experiences. Girls would tell me: “Oh, I don't like when the cup curves in that direction,” or “I really don't like when the ties are so thin because they dig into me,” or “I hate halter neck, it really hurts my neck.” Hearing all those things first hand allowed me to design styles based directly off the feedback I was given. That was 10 years ago, so it definitely hasn't been an overnight success, but we’re now a globally recognized brand and that’s so exciting! I still pinch myself knowing that my little market store now has over 350,000 followers on Instagram.
We're also constantly listening to our customers’ feedback – from shoot locations, design features, new development, even in terms of where we should open our next store. We're all about engaging with our community. Last year we did a social media giveaway where we held a competition: anyone could make a video explaining why they wanted to be part of designing our next collection with us. We then picked 3 lucky winners who came along the whole journey with us – from picking the models, choosing the location, designing the print colors and styles. I've never seen another brand do that, so that’s definitely something that sets us apart.
Tell me about the power and importance of inclusive swimwear. How do you cater to all different body types?
Our core mission at Bydee is to make women feel amazing. I often say: we're not changing the world, but we're changing the way women feel. We currently offer sizes XS to XXL. We also sample through the sizes, meaning we don't just sample on a size small and then grade all the way up, we actually get girls to come in and try on the styles, so we can make any changes necessary. In addition, we focus a lot on adjustability. Every single top style at Bydee is adjustable, whether that be having multiple areas that you can put the hook at the back or by having a tie. I used to do alterations for our customers at the market, which I can’t do anymore now that we’re online, so making adjustable pieces was my solution to that.
Where would you say that your inspiration comes from?
I get a lot of my inspiration when I'm traveling, also because we get to go to a lot of amazing locations to shoot. I find that when you're traveling and you're in a different space, you're a lot more aware of your surroundings. So when I'm driving to work, I'm not noticing the flowers or the trees and I'm not looking at the hues of the sky. Whereas when I'm in a different place, I'm so much more aware and my senses are heightened. I'm going to the vintage markets, I'm looking at the flowers, I'm looking at the berries on the trees in Brazil, I’m noticing the details and the colors – all of those elements have deeply inspired our collections.
What do you hope that people will take away from Bydee when engaging with it?
I really want people to feel excited when they see our content. I feel so passionate when we're putting together our collections, and I really hope our customers pick up on that. When they come across a social media post of ours, I want their eyes to light up and for them to daydream about their next holiday destination. Our intention is to take customers along each journey with us. Even when unpacking their order – I hope they’re putting their new bikini on and doing a fashion show for their roommate! My mission is for women to feel amazing, feel inspired to travel and make moments and memories with their friends and family. Hopefully Bydee’s swimwear will give them a reason to book a holiday!
Become a Bydee Babe now!
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