Damarys faced a struggle all too familiar to many women: finding a flattering swimsuit that fit well. Even when she purchased from boutiques and high end retailers, she still found herself altering them to cater to her body, or trying her hand at dying the fabrics to get a desired look. What started as a desire to find better fabrics and cuts, without sacrificing quality, led her to launch her own collection of swim and resort wear. With The Bight Swim, Damarys offers luxury swimwear while reflecting the Garifuna culture she has been fortunate enough to inherit.
Born in Roatan, Honduras, Damarys experienced life among the tropics. For most people, swimwear is almost uniform. But in the small village of Punta Gorda, conservative values all but prohibited it. Damarys may not have shared those same values, but she did share the village’s unapologetic culture and passion for life. With these roots, she decided to take life by the horns. Instead of taking the assumed path of marriage and raising a family, she lives life on her own terms, only looking back to make sure everyone is comfortable in life.
When Damarys started her swimwear collection, she assumed she would find instant success. She had the talent, she knew how to pick amazing colors, and she had connections in the fashion industry. However, the beginning proved a little rougher than she anticipated. As she tried leaning on entrepreneur friends in the fashion industry, she found more motivational quotes than useful advice. But Damarys discovered the importance of investing in yourself as she persevered. With a new mindset, she now knows how to get the help she needs in budgeting, demographics, and marketing.
Damarys believes everyone deserves luxury. She is on a mission to set the tone that no matter your age, size, or station in life, you are worthy to experience a lifestyle of affluence. Her products are designed to inspire confidence, boldness, and self worth as Damarys sees luxury as a happy place, not defined by finances. This is why she is successful every day. When she wakes up and reads the emails. When she fulfills the two orders she’s received all week. Success is a mindset you create. “Every day you decide to keep going, you’re succeeding,” she says.
Growing up in Roatan, Damarys has seen the educational disparity that exists. Her project “Where Are You From? Project” has helped address this problem back home. She also has it in her heart to build schools in the east end of the island where the “less desirable” side is offered less opportunity to grow. Damarys has a big heart that wants to see others flourish. “There is space for all of us to win and I wholeheartedly believe that. I support and love everybody,”
Damarys’s next project is already underway. She has launched a new, bold line of men’s luxury swimwear. She plans to start the trend of adding a little gold to men’s fashion swim. Damarys also has her sights set on celebrity swimwear for names like Beyonce and Rihanna. You can follow Damarys on Instagram @thebightswim