Key Takeaways
Jessica Liao Mayers launched Slate Swim in 2015 with just $300, a sewing machine, and a focus on made-to-order products. Her minimalist, seamless swimwear stood out in a crowded market because she deliberately resisted chasing fleeting trends. Instead of taking outside capital, Mayers bootstrapped the company, reinvesting revenue into production, inventory, branding, and operations, which allowed her to maintain control and build a sustainable brand.
From Passion to Purpose: Building a Swimwear Brand
Over the course of 11 years, Jessica Liao Mayers transformed a small side project into a seven-figure business by identifying a distinct gap in the swimwear market. Growing up near Dallas in a family of medical professionals, fashion was not her immediate path. However, a high school fashion class she initially took for ease sparked a genuine passion. She went on to compete in state and national fashion design competitions before moving to Los Angeles to study product development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
After graduating in 2014, Mayers gained valuable experience working as a designer and product developer at BCBG, and then as a buyer at Tobi, where she learned about wholesale retail operations. Her rapid completion of tasks at Tobi led to boredom and the realization that she was ready to start her own business.
Identifying a Gap in the Market
Mayers launched Slate Swim in November 2015 from her home, using $300 to buy fabric and a sewing machine she already owned to create made-to-order swimwear. At 21 years old, she sourced materials from Los Angeles’ Fashion District and sewed products herself during evenings and weekends.
Her motivation was simple: she wanted a swimsuit that was truly comfortable and minimalistic. She noticed the market was polarized between mass-produced, thick nylon suits and high-end trendy brands, with little offering in the minimalist category. Slate Swim’s aesthetic—clean silhouettes, neutral tones, and flattering fits—filled this void, catering to consumers who wanted swimwear that felt authentic to their style.
Distinctively, Slate Swim offers swimsuits with minimal seaming and uses thin, soft fabrics that feel like a second skin. Early experimentation with lining fabrics, unusual in swimwear, helped set the brand apart. Mayers credits launching the brand during the early days of social media for part of her rapid growth, as she leveraged platforms before many competitors embraced them.
A Major Leap Into Wholesale
Before establishing a full production line, Mayers’ early Instagram presence caught the attention of the surf- and skate-focused Agenda Trade Show. Despite still working as a buyer at Tobi, she took the bold step of quitting her job with just a week’s notice to exhibit as a brand at the show. Without inventory or a manufacturer, she sewed 30 samples herself in her apartment to prepare.
The response was overwhelming: Slate Swim secured orders from 22 retailers, including Diane’s Beachwear. This success validated the brand but also created operational challenges. Mayers connected with a small Los Angeles production shop to fulfill initial orders, later moving production overseas to a dependable, family-owned factory that provided consistent quality and capacity.
Slate’s growth was incremental and intentional. Mayers reinvested profits to gradually improve production quality, branding, photography, and e-commerce infrastructure, opting for slow but manageable expansion rather than rapid scaling.
Focus Over Expansion: Staying True to the Brand
Throughout Slate Swim’s journey, Mayers remained focused on swimwear, resisting pressure to diversify into menswear, resortwear, or other categories. This deliberate focus helped maintain the brand’s identity and strength. “I would much rather be successful at one thing than mediocre at many things,” she reflects.
Mayers learned early that chasing trends diluted Slate’s minimalist aesthetic. After experimenting with trend-forward colors like neon yellow, which sold poorly, she committed to creating pieces that aligned with her vision. This authentic approach extended to marketing, where she relied on organic relationships with photographers and influencers, exchanging product for credit and tags to build an elevated visual identity without large ad budgets.
One pivotal moment came when an influencer posted a photo wearing Slate Swim, generating 30 orders overnight. Instead of chasing viral moments, Mayers focused on nurturing consistent, small-scale relationships that compounded over time, laying a solid foundation for growth.
Embracing Paid Advertising: A Turning Point
Until 2021, Slate Swim had not invested in paid advertising. When Mayers finally hired an advertising team with an engineering background—chosen for their technical understanding of Meta’s advertising platforms—the brand experienced a rapid acceleration, growing roughly 76% in the first year of paid marketing.
This investment in polished campaign imagery and targeted ads helped convey the brand’s lifestyle and ethos, driving new customer acquisition. The growth from advertising also necessitated scaling operations, including warehousing and third-party logistics, enabling Slate to handle larger wholesale and direct-to-consumer orders.
Reflecting on this, Mayers notes that embracing paid ads sooner is the one thing she would change in her entrepreneurial journey.
Bootstrapping to a Sellable Business
Slate Swim’s business model remained straightforward: direct-to-consumer sales accounted for 92% of revenue, with the remainder from wholesale partnerships. Crucially, Mayers never raised outside capital, choosing to reinvest earnings to carefully manage inventory and avoid overexpansion.
This approach preserved ownership and flexibility, positioning Slate well for eventual acquisition. Over the final three years under Mayers’ leadership, the company grew 36% year-over-year. In July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition shortly after Slate’s 10-year anniversary.
The choice to sell was both strategic and personal. While she viewed Slate as her “baby,” Mayers was ready to pursue her original passion for contemporary womenswear. She selected a buyer with swimwear experience and strong fashion and marketing instincts to ensure Slate’s identity and relationships would be honored.
The acquisition process was swift, facilitated by Slate’s profitability and reliance on contractors rather than full-time employees, which reduced complexity. Mayers describes the experience as “inner peace” and one of the fastest acquisitions her lawyer had witnessed.
Looking Ahead: Launching a New Brand
As she supports the transition at Slate, Mayers is preparing to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand slated for spring 2027. She is excited to explore new silhouettes, materials, and fabrics, expanding her creative boundaries beyond the constraints of swimwear, which requires tight, figure-hugging fits.
For aspiring founders, Mayers offers grounded advice: start with a genuine point of view, be resourceful, and commit for the long haul. “You have to have that passion that’s going to wake you up every morning,” she says. “If you don’t have that, you’re just not going to get far.”
Learn more about Jessica Liao Mayers and Slate Swim’s inspiring journey here.
