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Amaya Determann
Amaya Determann is the founder of Eleven06 Swimwear, her inclusive and sustainable swimwear brand she created, amid the global pandemic. Initially harbouring an interest in music and despite dedicating much of her time to it, she didn’t see its longevity. Her fashion inspiration came from her mother whose style and outfits she admired growing up. Designing from a young age was the young entrepreneur’s happy place, however she hadn’t consciously viewed it as a career path she would take - that is until her college experience was cut short following the global lockdown and her brand Eleven06 Swimwear was born, becoming her creative outlet. Eleven06 Swimwear was created for driven, hard-working women who made the impossible possible. WOTC sits down with the American girl-boss in the making to discuss launching her brand and how she remains focused.
WOTC: Tell us where it all began for you?
Amaya: I didn’t think about becoming an entrepreneur until I was in my early teens; maybe 13 or 14. I was initially interested in music and saw myself becoming the next Beyonce (laughs). The girl group I was involved in which was called Charisma, pushed me to where I am now even though it didn’t work out. It was a stepping stone to who I am now, due to the years of studying music. The training made me confident and outgoing, especially when I needed to sell an idea. Even though I invested my entire life in music I didn’t see a lot of growth there.
WOTC: You realised around 13 or 14 that fashion was what you wanted to do. Did that lead you to study it in school?
Amaya: At the time, I didn’t see it as a career path, but I did it as fun. I made outfits for friends and I was inspired by designs in magazines that I created for myself. It wasn’t until my first year of college that I had the idea to start a business. It wasn’t practical because I was in college but, when COVID happened, it was a time to reflect, create and strategise. I decided to study what it means to be an entrepreneur. I am the first in my family to start a business and go to school, but support from family has helped. This was the development stage for Eleven06 Swimwear, but I didn’t get the idea of making swimwear until later on. You could say it's God's divine timing because everything just aligned in time.
WOTC: What month did you launch your business?
Amaya: I launched it in May 2020 after a year of working on it, so it’s a fairly new business.
WOTC: What month last year would you say the idea came to you?
Amaya: It was around March last year that I got the idea to pursue swimwear. I had no clue or resources, and the fact that we were sheltered at home didn’t stop me. I had faith regardless of where the inventory would come from. I made it from nothing and made it into something.
WOTC: What kept you motivated and your mind steady that you would be able to do this?
Amaya: It was just faith and that’s where my business came from; Hebrew 11:06. It talks about having faith to please God. While building the business, I went through this self-love period where I had to be so in tune with myself and trust every decision I make, even if I wasn’t sure that it would go my way. You have to have faith regardless, be humble and stay focused. There was a peace that came over me throughout that period even though it was meant to be a stressful time.
WOTC: So, tell us about the pieces in the new collection?
Amaya: So in the midst of me studying the business, I knew I wanted something very inclusive; that was always the goal. I wanted the colours to be bright and intertwine with each other. I wanted the pieces to be versatile enough to fit different shapes, so that they could be fitted and adjusted properly. The best-seller was the Chloe set, which was the yellow one even though I thought the Ashley set would be the best seller. The inspiration for the names came by sitting down with my family and they pulled names out of a hat. They are a big part of why I started the business and I think so highly of them.
WOTC: What were your family’s opinions of you trying to start a business?
Amaya: My mum told me she thought it was another one of my crazy ideas, but she saw it was something special when I spent endless time talking about it, working on it and asking for help. They were very supportive.
WOTC: You also study at the same time?
Amaya: Yes, I am still a full-time student, as not many people in my family have finished school. I am a Communications major, and I don’t think I will change it. I didn’t pick it to do a 9-5 after. I knew I wanted a business eventually.
WOTC: We think your story will inspire so many young women!
Amaya: I hope so! I really want to help women. I have seen so many talented women with brilliant ideas, so to help them to put their talents on display would be amazing.
WOTC: Is that your plan to help women and put their plans on display?
Amaya: Absolutely! If I can make Eleven06 Swimwear a huge company and get women involved, I would have an entire team to help them develop their ideas.