Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 3, 1 March 2021 — Salt + Sea - Kaua'i Boutique Makes a Splash [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Salt + Sea - Kaua'i Boutique Makes a Splash

By TammyMori "Being Hawaiian is a big part of who I am and what I'm trying to do, " said Maile Taylor, owner of Salt + Sea. "I design and buy swimsuits for women here in Hawai'i so they ean feel confident in their own skin. I want to make sure they have a plaee they ean eome to. " In 2016, Taylor opened up Salt + Sea on Kaua'i. She started as a vendor in a eo-op of boutiques in Lawai. From there, she opened her first storefront in Po'ipū in the Kukui'ula Shopping Center. And recently, she opened a second storefront in Kapa'a. "Growing up on Kaua'i, I remember the only plaee to get bathing suits, or clothes for that matter, was at Jeans Warehouse," laughed Taylor. "My background is in business sales, so I moved to O'ahu for some time. When I moved back to Kaua'i, I realized there were not a lot of job opportunities." After some encouragement from her sister, she took the plunge and followed her passion of opening up her own business specializing in bikinis. "To this day, I have no idea how I did it," she recalled. "It has been a whirlwind of ups, downs, and craziness. But I've always had a passion for it, and everything just fell into plaee." Taylor is also able to carry many other loeal products in her storefronts, supporting friends and other loeal businesses. "In every sector of the business, we have loeal representation - from loeal jewelry to handmade soaps, from skincare products to cloth-

ing," she explained. She says it has been a community and family effort. Her oldest daughter, Waileia Botelho, who lives on the continent, is helping her with online sales, while Taylor's younger daughter, Kahea Botelho, is helping her in the store. "I have been a single mom for 20+ years. The experience of being a single parent is how I've been able to make this happen - having the wherewithal and fortitude to keep moving forward. I used to work three jobs, but this business has transformed our lives exponentially and I will always be grateful." Taylor also thanks OHA for its support throughout the years - from helping her pay for her college education, to providing an OHA Mālama Business Loan when she needed it most. "Last September, I had the most trying time. Sales were so low and I knew I wouldn't qualify for a eonventional loan," said Taylor. "The OHA loan itself was tremendously helpful - it provided me with the hnaneial resources I needed to continue my ordering and to help get me from that plaee to where I wanted to be." Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted small businesses around the state, she has been pivoting her business model to grow her online sales. "It's definitely been challenging and stressful, but I hope I am able to model to my kids what it means to be successful," reflects Taylor. "I want to show them the value of community, and of setting goals, hard work, tenacity and resilience." ■

ln addition to swimsuits, Salt + Sea carries a variety of products from loeal vendors at their storefronts and online, supporting other loeal businesses in the process.

Maile Taylor with some of her 'ohana in front of her newest storefront in Kapa'a. L-R: Daughter Kahea Botelho, Maile, sister Kalena Taylor, mom Nalani Taylor, and son Hanakoa Kamalani. - Photos: Courtesy Maile Taylor