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Jessica Liao Mayers started Slate Swim in November 2015 with $300 worth of fabric and a sewing machine she already owned. She made swimsuits to order, built the brand without outside capital, and completed a seven-figure acquisition in July 2026. The exact sale price and terms have not been disclosed.
How Slate Swim began with $300
Mayers was 21 when she started the swimwear brand at home while working a day job. She had studied product development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and worked in design and product development at BCBG before becoming a buyer at Tobi. Her experience informed a specific market idea: swimwear could be minimalist and comfortable without being either mass-market basics or high-end, trend-led fashion.
She spent $300 on fabric, used her existing sewing machine, and made suits to order. The initial investment was therefore for materials, not a complete manufacturing setup. Slate’s identity took shape around clean silhouettes, neutral colors, minimal seams, and soft, thin fabric.
Rather than raise outside capital, Mayers put revenue back into the company. Over time, those earnings funded production, branding, photography, ecommerce, inventory, and operations. Starting small reduced the need to commit to a large production run before the brand had demand, but it also meant building the business alongside her job and making products herself.
#1 Best Overall
- Design: V Neck One Piece Swimsuit with Shirring Design at Waist and Adjustable Shoulder Straps
- About Cup Style: with Padding Bras
- Garment Care: Regular Wash. Recommend with Cold Water. Do not Use Bleach. Do not Tumble Dry
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How she landed Slate Swim’s first retail accounts
Early wholesale traction came before Slate had an established manufacturing arrangement. After seeing the brand’s early Instagram account, Agenda Trade Show invited it to exhibit. Mayers quit her Tobi job shortly before the event, then cut and sewed 30 samples in her apartment. Entrepreneur reports that the show led to 22 retail accounts, including Diane’s Beachwear.
At the show, she also met a contact who connected her with a small Los Angeles production shop. Slate later moved production overseas to a small, family-owned manufacturer. The sequence mattered: samples helped make the idea tangible to buyers, while the new production relationship offered a path beyond what Mayers could sew at home.
How the brand grew without outside funding
Keeping the product and company focused
Mayers chose to build a swimwear company rather than add categories simply to broaden the assortment. She resisted moving into menswear or resortwear and recalled that a trend-led neon-yellow collection performed poorly. “I would much rather be successful at one thing than mediocre at many things,” Jessica Liao Mayers told Entrepreneur.
Rank #2
- Designed for swim
- Smooth, quick-drying and four-way stretch fabric, comfortable to wear
- Low coverage, A-D cup fit, non-removable built-in pads
- V-neck shows off your curves for a flattering silhouette
- Adjustable shoulder straps and under-bust band work together for a secure, customized fit
The focus was not just aesthetic. A narrower product identity gave Slate a consistent point of view while Mayers reinvested in the capabilities the existing business needed, from production to ecommerce and fulfillment.
Building relationships before relying on ads
Slate’s early marketing depended on personal outreach and product seeding. Mayers supplied suits for photographers’ shoots in exchange for credit and tags, and gifted products to people she felt fit the brand. She recalled one influencer post generating 30 orders overnight, but described growth as the result of consistently building small relationships rather than depending on a single viral moment.
Slate did not invest in paid advertising until 2021. Mayers said the first year with paid marketing brought about 76% growth; Entrepreneur’s account does not specify the exact measurement period. Increased orders required more fulfillment capacity and delegation. Organic relationship-building and paid advertising were successive parts of the company’s growth, not interchangeable tactics with proven universal results.
Rank #3
- Women's Saltwater Solids Edgewater One-Piece swimsuit with a double V-neck design and high-leg cut for a modern swim silhouette.
- Medium coverage and a high-leg cut create a close-to-body swim fit with an elongated leg opening; adjustable straps help tune the shoulder fit.
- Made with 85% recycled polyamide and 15% elastane for a stretchy feel that moves comfortably in and out of the water.
- Designed for beach days, pool wear, resort travel, and layering under swim cover-ups when you want a clean one-piece option.
- Before ordering, review the listing's size chart and garment measurement/dimension images to compare bust, hips, and torso length.
Using both direct sales and wholesale
Mayers said 92% of Slate’s business came from direct-to-consumer sales and 8% from wholesale. Those are founder-reported figures relayed by Entrepreneur, not independently audited results. The split shows that wholesale helped establish the brand and remained part of its business, while direct sales accounted for the larger reported share.
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What the growth figures say—and do not say
Mayers told Entrepreneur that Slate grew 36% year over year during its final three years under her ownership. Combined with her reported 76% growth in the first year of paid marketing, the figures describe a company that continued growing after its early, largely relationship-driven stage. They do not establish that the same marketing or channel mix will produce similar results for another brand, and the article does not provide audited financial statements or detailed definitions for those growth measures.
For someone considering a small product business, Slate’s experience offers a set of trade-offs rather than a formula:
Rank #4
- Tummy control one piece swimsuits for women with adjustable double criss cross spaghetti straps at back to get a perfectly fitting
- V neck padded one piece swimsuit features Ruched details to hide tummy pooc, shows flattering slimming curves look
- High cut one piece bathing suit builts in removable padded bras to create a stunning body
- Shirred front, full coverage swim bottom and full lined material make yourself feel safe and confident during swimming
- Womens strappy one piece bathing suits is great for summer swimming wear, beach party, vacation, surfing, pool party
- Made to order versus inventory: sewing to order let Mayers begin with materials and existing equipment; scaling later required production partners and inventory.
- Organic outreach versus paid ads: gifting and relationship-building helped create early attention; paid advertising came later, when the company had a more established operation.
- Reinvested earnings versus outside capital: bootstrapping kept the business funded from its own revenue, while requiring growth to be managed within the resources available.
- Focus versus expansion: Slate stayed centered on swimwear rather than adding adjacent categories, even though expansion might have broadened its offer.
Mayers described the pace as manageable: “Everything kind of grew at a slower pace, but very, very manageable,” she told Entrepreneur. Her account also underscores a practical constraint: a founder can start with an idea and equipment already on hand, but a growing order book eventually calls for production, fulfillment, and operational capacity beyond one person.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Slate Swim’s seven-figure acquisition
Shortly after Slate’s 10-year anniversary, Mayers listed the company with an online brokerage. She completed a seven-figure acquisition in July 2026, according to Entrepreneur’s October 2, 2026 interview. The source does not disclose the exact purchase price, buyer, valuation multiple, or transaction structure, so the sale cannot be translated into a precise valuation or a claim about what Mayers personally received.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsMayers said Slate was profitable and organized, and that it used contractors rather than full-time salaried employees. She also said her lawyer described the acquisition as unusually fast. She is supporting the transition. The profile does not state the company’s revenue, profit, or assets at sale, so it does not provide enough information to calculate a sale multiple or identify which factors determined the final price.
Best Value
- SPORTY BRALETTE BIKINI TOP: O'Neill women's bikini top with a clean solid design and sporty bralette silhouette for beach days, pool time, and vacation wear.
- ADJUSTABLE LACE-UP BACK: Back strapping detail helps create a more secure, customizable fit for swimming, sunbathing, and active days by the water.
- REMOVABLE CUPS: Designed with removable cups so you can adjust coverage and shaping to match your comfort and preferred look.
- RECYCLED STRETCH FABRIC: Made from 85% recycled polyamide and 15% elastane for soft feel, flexibility, and comfortable movement in and out of the water.
- EASY TO PAIR: Solid color bikini top pairs easily with matching or mixed swim bottoms, making it a versatile option for building multiple swim looks.
What Mayers plans to do next
Mayers said she plans to launch Knitte, a minimalist contemporary womenswear brand, in spring 2027. That is a stated plan, not a completed launch. Reflecting on entrepreneurship, she told Entrepreneur: “You have to have that passion that’s going to wake you up every morning. If you don’t have that, you’re just not going to get far.”
Source: Entrepreneur’s interview with Jessica Liao Mayers, published October 2, 2026.
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