Bikini Empire is a local bikini brand started two years ago by Kelsey & Monica Rush. The bikinis are designed on Gabriola Island and are manufactured locally in Vancouver’s small but vibrant garment sector. With a passion for the water not unlike a pair of mermaids, this duo of creative female entrepreneurs has chosen to take a stand against the fashion industry’s norm of cheap material and cheap labour which results in cheap products, and unacceptably low labour and environmental standards.
In order to get their suits across Canada, and eventually the world, they need to increase production levels. For this they need to raise capital, but don’t want to go to investors. So, they came up with the plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise the extra funds that Bikini Empire needs to expand across Canada, and the Caribbean.
For those of you unfamiliar with Kickstarter, KS is an online crowdfunding platform that allows small businesses or individuals to publish 'projects' with a projected funding goal. In order to attract backers, each project offers various reward levels. This means that if you want to support a project, you can pledge money and get a reward in return. In most cases, including theirs, the rewards are the actual product (bikinis plus hats and t-shirts for men, and great surfing polaroid photos), so a lot of people that frequent KS are people that like to 'shop with their heart'.
http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=11205127
To read more about the fashion industry, look for this book in our Thetis library
Overdressed: The Shocklingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion: Elizabeth L. Cline
early days on Thetis ~