The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

bite swimwear I t is without a doubt that the Maldives is one of those fantasy, tropical, para- dise islands that some people dream about visiting, and others actually do. So it was perhaps with this in mind that Maldivian siblings, Yasra and Yusree Jaleel founded Kandumathi, a swimwear label that was born out of traditional thinking with a global outlook. The name of the brand comes from a traditional Maldivian phrase that embodies the essence of a vulnerable life. Kandumathi is broken down into two singular words: ’Kandu’ meaning the ‘ocean’ and ‘Mathi’ meaning ‘in it’. The two words combined are the English interpretation of ‘in the ocean’ or ‘at sea’. Taking inspiration from the natural en- vironment of the island and its vibrant culture, the brand works with local artists and designers to produce their pieces. Thus, you find their swimwear collections are based on beautifully curated water colour paintings. The brand was first registered in the Maldives in 2016 and then in London a year later, with Yasra running the company with their brother. “I was born in the Maldives and moved to England in 2001. Kandumathi is a brand that focuses on Maldivian art and our brand philosophy is that we collaborate with local artists from the Maldives to create our unique designs.” This is currently being done by Maldivian artist Nadee Rachey, whose paintings are designed into swimwear by Yasra and Ahmed Fauzan. Yusree describes their design process as “putting cool, nice, weird, or funky things we see in and around our natural environment into swimsuits and bi- kinis.” Her background is in sports coaching, fitness, and development and is currently working in the surfing industry in the Maldives as well as at Kandu- mathi. “Being in and out of the water almost every day and being in contact with women who use swimsuits daily gives me firsthand information on the fit, cut, and how comfortable different materials are.” Yasra’s background is in film and studied film production at university. She went on to work as an assistant producer before starting the brand. “I find a lot of similarities in running this business and film production. The most familiar aspect of film and Kandumathi is our collaborative work with artists and de- signers. I like bringing different creative people together.” Before Kandumathi was formed, there wasn’t a Maldivian swimwear brand so the siblings brought something new to the island. “We never had plans to get into the fashion industry. It’s still a bit surreal for us to even think of ourselves as fashion designers,” said Yusree. The idea to produce swimwear came when Yasra and their brother were on holiday and they realised there were no swimwear brands from the Maldives. “For a country that relies so much on tourism, we found a market there. From the very beginning, we were determined to work with local Maldivian artists and designers to create our col-