NAOMIE CARON LOVES  a challenge. Loves to thread the needle, so to speak, to iron out problems and issues. Especially those facing her beloved fashion industry, like overconsumption and sustainability.
So, when she set out to create her own brand of swimwear, she tackled those issues head on and designed a line of sustainable, hand-made swimsuits that are both elegant and timeless.
As a result of her selfless act, Selfish — the brand — was born.
Now the up-and-coming designer and her creations are the talk of the fashion industry and her swimsuits are sure to make a splash with the Caribbean beach crowd this winter.
While “Selfish” might appear to be an odd name to pick for a brand name, especially by someone so giving of her time to social causes as Caron is, the up-and-coming designer says there are actually several reasons behind the name choice.

Above: Naomie Caron has worked hard to establish herself as one of Canada's brightest new stars in the fashion world.

“First, because I believe that wellness is all about balance. And often women tend to sacrifice their own lifestyle for others, especially to their children,” says the thoughtful Caron.
“So with Selfish, I want those women to feel proud and empowered. I want them to be selfish and think about themselves first, because how can you love others if you can't love yourself first.
“Secondly, a bathing suit is really unique. It's an intimate product, because women need different styles depending on their curves and needs, support-wise. It's really rare that women would share their bathing suits with a friend”
Then a twinkle enters Caron’s eye as she lists the third reason for calling her brand Selfish.
“As a true ‘frenglish’ Montrealer, I have always lived with both languages day-to-day and Selfish was this mix of SEL (the word for salt in French) and (the English word) FISH, thus creating this perfect ocean vibe name that incorporates all the other characteristics I’ve mentioned above.”

Above: Caron's Selfish swimwear line is a cut above the rest and is turning heads wherever women wear them.

Caron’s garments feature neutral, soft colour palettes that are accented with flowers, thus creating an asymmetric design that celebrates both a woman’s curves and uniqueness.
The young Canadian designer is one of the most creative in her field and credits her mother for her entrepreneurial drive. “My mother was in many fields — in the arts, with her sculpting business and paintings for rent, as well as her social businesses, with after-school homework support for kids and organizations for abused women,” says Caron. “And now she's in the food industry, distributing ethically produced vanilla.
“So, we can still see that she's an artist with social thinking, just like me,” says Caron, who agrees creating swimwear is among the hardest things a designer can tackle.
“It's even harder than (designing) lingerie because bathing suits are shown to everyone, where lingerie is private to you and your partner. And they need to support women's bust without compressing too much, just enough to face the waves. When you really think about it, it's actually one of the scariest moments for many (women) — to be naked in front of a crowd, and you are pretty close to naked in a bathing suit.
“So designs have to be engineered to fit a wide range of different bodies and to face the physics of water, on top of providing UV protection, water absorption, resistance to chlorine and many other elements,” she says.
Caron says her mixed race roots have benefitted her design career.
“It wasn't a benefit as a child, where you only want to fit in a group,” she remembers. “Now, as an adult, I realize how it actually makes me less biased to a certain group and more into collectivity and equality.”
While online shopping is taking over the retail sector these days, Caron, whose products are showcased to millions worldwide over the internet, says her “private fitting” experiences are what really makes her stand out from the design crowd.
“No one has ever left (her shop) without a bathing suit and they are always happy with their experience,” she says. 
“And word of mouth has been a very strong channel because of it. Hopefully, the dream would be to open stores across the world that would offer this kind of personal attention within the customer service.”
Naomie’s love for design is inspired by her years of exploring dance, gymnastics, drawing, sculpting and eventually sewing.
And by valuing sustainability, diversity and quality in her designs over quantity, Naomie Caron proves that being Selfish is a good thing.

• To see the full lineup of Selfish designs, go to https://selfishswimwear.com