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Leigh Ann Cobb and Hannah Yesmunt will be the first to tell you they know nothing about the swimwear industry.
That makes their mission to disrupt it all the more fascinating.
Cobb and Yesmunt are the co-creators of Saint Andro, a Grand Rapids-based fashion startup pushing the boundaries of what swimwear can look and feel like and who it’s for. For the past year-and-a-half, the pair have been exploring, researching, prototyping—and, as of this month, launching—a collection of androgynous swimwear that emphasizes practicality over chic, ethics over profit and personalization over fast fashion trends.
Both are coming to the industry as outsiders. Yesmunt holds a degree in French language from Grand Valley State University and works as a logistics specialist for Wolverine Worldwide. Cobb is a commercial photographer who graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing with a
Artist Piper Adonya believes all people should be seen and heard.
“That’s why I love creating designs of people of color; everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in art,” said Adonya, a Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University alumna who worked on visual development for “Black Barbie: A Documentary.”
The new film tells the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be in 1980 and introduces viewers to the women who made her happen. It also examines the longtime shortsightedness of a toy industry that never imagined a Black Barbie selling.
That battle for representation strikes a deep chord with Adonya, who uses her own illustrations and designs to educate people about the importance of celebrating diversity.
“The sheer amount of time children spend with their dolls is enough to pause and reflect on what those toys look like … and how much the influence of having one that actually looks like