When I was choosing names for our launch pieces, I really didn't want them to be random. Everything else on our page and in our business has been intentional, so I felt our pieces needed to be named intentionally too.
I think there's something really nice about each piece holding a little story and I hope you feel that way too when you wear our products.
Tekela
Tekela is my mother’s middle name.
Named after the woman who raised five of us kids (that's right, I have four siblings, three of whom are brothers, and one lucky sister!) I wanted the one-piece to be named after my mother because it's probably my favourite style. My mother was born and raised in Rotuma, a small island far north of Fiji. She lives and works in Suva.
My mother, Fanny, taught us so many crucial life lessons through her generosity, her hard-working nature, and her honesty. And after my father passed away suddenly in 2014, she showed us what strength in the face of great grief really looked like.
In many ways, Salty Togs exists because of the foundations she laid (in culture, in faith, in family), and in how she always encouraged me to carry myself as a woman.
Emily
Emily is named after my sister.
They say that your sisters are often among your first friends. As siblings, they are the ones who see the different versions of us as we grow. Since Emily is my younger sister (by a fair bit), I felt that the youthful, fun and playful bikini sets had to be named after her.
My sister and I, despite the age gap, remain very close, and naming the bikini sets after her felt like I was honouring our special bond.
Emily lives and works in Sydney and I don't get to see her nearly as much as I'd like to.
Francesca
Francesca is dedicated to my best friend, who very sadly passed away suddenly last year.
Writing her name here still feels tender, actually.
She was a firecracker of a human - brilliant, strong, thoughtful, determined and easily the funniest person I knew.
Naming the sarongs after her is my way of keeping her woven into something meaningful - it's an ode to a lifelong friendship built from the bottom of our hearts.
Every time I see the 'Francesca Sarong', I’m reminded that love doesn’t disappear, it transforms, and it continues in the things we create and in the memories we hold.
I miss her everyday.
More Than Just Swimwear
So, as you can probably tell, these names are a bit more than labels for me, they are a reflection of the women who have been a really important part of my life.
Salty Togs isn’t just about swimsuits, it’s also a bit of a legacy and a way to honour where we come from.
It’s about carrying our stories into what we build, something which I think as Pacific Islanders, has always been part of who we are, how we live, and the way we show love.
