Two local women have combined their love of the sun and sustainability to launch a biodegradable bathing suit business.
Madeleine Mireault and Lena Ayoubi are the founders of Society Sun Co., which launched on Nov. 12. It is a lifestyle brand that offers women’s swimwear which breaks down after disposal.
Only in their early 20s, the two hope of someday expanding their business to include shirts, towels and other seasonal items.
“We both just love being in the sun and being outdoors,” said Ayoubi about their brand, “Eventually, we would love to be a coastal brand ... building a company based on summer apparel.”
The idea for Society Sun Co. developed while Ayoubi and Mireault were planning a trip to the Dominican Republic back in February. Ayoubi recalls finding a lot of women’s swimsuits were produced through fast fashion.
After cancelling their trip due to COVID, Ayoubi said she and Mireault saw an opportunity to design a product for the eco-conscious buyer, and began to develop their business in June.
“We started re-visiting it at that time and it really was just because we noticed a gap in the market,” said Ayoubi, “We did our research, but there aren’t too many sustainable swimsuit companies out there.”
During their research, Ayoubi recalls feeling shocked when learning about how much waste is created by fast fashion.
“It is crazy,” said Ayoubi, “Not even just the swimsuit industry, but the retail and clothing industry, it is wild how much of it ends up in landfills.”
“When we started to look at the stats, it blew our minds and we thought, ‘Okay, we can’t contribute to that.’”
The bathing suits at Society Sun Co. are made out of a material called AMNI Soul Eco, a biodegradable nylon that completely decomposes within three years of disposal.
Manufactured in Brazil, Mireault said the company also reuses materials during development of their products and uses scrap fabric to make dog beds.
“Not only are they making sustainable swimwear, they’re also doing something that’s giving back to their local community,” she said, “So that was something important for us to see and gave us a connection to our manufacturer.”
She adds with their business, they aim to provide high-quality, biodegradable swimsuits at standard prices within the industry.
“We found with the cheaper bathing suits you lack quality,” Mireault explains, “And so we wanted to offer something that was more in the middle price-wise and would last a very long time.”
Currently, Society Sun Co. offers two different bathing suit tops and bottoms and plan to launch a new line of swimwear in 2021. Ayoubi mentions their next line will also include men’s swimming trunks.
“It shouldn’t just be women who get nice swimsuits that are also sustainable,” said Ayoubi, “Guys should be included in that too.”
Besides developing an eco-friendly product, both Mireault and Ayoubi wanted to offer their swimwear in a variety of sizes to cater to all body types. Currently, they offer sizes XS-XL and plans to expand their sizes as their manufacturer can produce sizes up to XXXL.
“We really want everyone who wants to buy our suits to feel comfortable and confident while wearing them.” said Ayoubi.
While they were unsure of what to expect when starting a new business during the pandemic, Mireault said both are thrilled with the support they have received so far from the Guelph community and from customers on social media.
“A majority of our sales came from our launch, came from Guelph and KW,” said Mireault, "Everyone in the Guelph community and the KW area have been really supportive."
“It really is heart-warming,” adds Ayoubi, “You anticipate your family and friends to support you and encourage you, but when you see random strangers saying ‘This is amazing,’ or ‘We love your brand and the message you stand behind,’ it is a really, really humbling feeling.”
To learn more about Society Sun Co., check out their website.
