Meet Marli – One of the many beautiful faces behind the ethical Brazilian bikinis at Styelle Swim

One of the things that we’re very proud of here at Styelle Swim is our passion for sustainability. You may already know that our swimsuits are made from 30% biodegradable and eco-friendly fabrics, and how the off-cut fabric from our production process is donated for arts and crafts. You might also know that we make sure our designs are timeless and of the highest quality, so you can wear our bikinis and swimsuits for years to come. When it comes to our products, sustainability is the key word for us here, but did you know that our passion for sustainability extends to our employees too?

We strongly believe that fair trade employment and sustainability go hand-in-hand. In fact, one of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals is to "promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” We’re proud that this approach is at the very core of what we do!

We have always sourced our products from Brazil for two main reasons. The first is that Brazil is a world leader in swimwear production, with artisanal skills developed over decades. The second reason is that we are lucky enough to work with an amazing supplier that is ethical, honest and family-run.

Meet Marli

Marli is the head seamstress at our manufacturing factory in Brazil. She is a loving mãe and avozinha (mother and grandmother). She also works with us for 5 days a week, with every weekend off. In her free time, she volunteers in her community to help children with school work. All in all, she is an incredible person and an important member of her local community and the Styelle family!

Unfortunately, last year Marli broke her leg and needed to take time off work. It was a scary time for all of us, but particularly for Marli, because she was worried about how this would affect her income. Fortunately, she could rely on paid sick leave the entire time.
This is something we take for granted in our part of the world, but the truth is that reliable employment opportunities with paid sick leave, living wages and equal treatment are still hard to come by in some developing countries. Being able to offer our workers these rights is something we have taken seriously since our launch in 2016, and we believe that keeping our workers happy is the best thing we can do to make sure our customers are happy with our well-made, high-quality products too!

Styelle Ethical Brazilian Bikinis and Social Sustainability

For the past few decades, a lot of the discussion surrounding sustainability has focused on environmental issues. At Styelle, this is definitely an area which will remain at the forefront of what we do when producing our swimwear. That said, we think that it’s time for the social dimension of sustainability to also be a part of that discussion.

As members of the Ethical Fashion Forum that is now known as Common Objective, we regularly undertake training to make our business more ethical. Creating fair and sustainable employment for all our workers has always been a focus in making Styelle Swim a premier ethical, sustainable, and fashionable swimwear brand, and that will never change.

We look forward to seeing more companies taking this stance, as we genuinely believe that businesses have a duty of care to take a holistic and intersectional approach to sustainability, in order to make real change in the world.

In the meantime, we are so glad to see Marli back on her feet, making our gorgeous swimsuits and bikinis. Her artisan skills and infectious smiles are infused into everything she makes for Styelle, and we couldn’t be more grateful! For more information about our brand, read our story here.

Check out our sustainable, ethical Brazilian bikinis here! Or you can shop all bikini tops, bottoms, and one pieces here.