Sienna Dhariwal. Photo: Chris Emeott
Body-positive swimwear brand rides the tide of sustainability.
have you ever bought a bikini, packed it among several one-pieces for a beach holiday only to never wear it at all? Have you opened your suitcase and pondered, “Why did I purchase this?” Do you believe the notion of donning a bikini demands an extraordinary level of self-confidence? One Edina teenager wants to put an end to all the bikini second-guessing and anxiety with a boutique line of sustainable and body-positive swimwear called Bikini Blend.
“Our main message is that all bodies are bikini bodies,” says Sienna Dhariwal, founder of Bikini Blend. The 16-year-old is a junior at Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, and founded the company three years ago when she was in eighth grade. It was part of the Edina Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Entrepreneurship Academy, where teens could submit a business plan at the Shark Tank-type event. The winners receive funding to launch their business. Sienna won second place and used the prize money to launch Bikini Blend.
“A lot of women tend to think, ‘I’m supposed to fit in a bikini.’ It really should be the opposite way around,” Sienna says. “The bikini is supposed to fit on us.”
Sunset, The Ocean and Island Collections
Sienna is a third-generation entrepreneur. Her father, Ashok Dhariwal, owns YogaFit, which has four locations in Minneapolis. His parents owned a clothing store, deli, gift shop and drug stores in New York City. Business is in her blood.
“I wouldn’t be able to have Bikini Blend where it is today without all their support,” she says of her parents. “They come to all my events and help set up and take down. They really stressed the importance of hard work.”
Another aspect of importance is having her company be environmentally friendly. It was important to her to find a company that could make the swimsuits out of recycled materials.
“I knew I wanted to sell a product and a service that is sustainable and incorporates women empowerment that could be helpful to young girls with body images.”—Sienna Dhariwal, founder of Bikini Blend
“I really wanted to incorporate sustainability into Bikini Blend,” she says. “I looked locally. However, not many companies have recycled material for fabrics … especially in the Midwest region.” She looked at places around the world and finally found one in Indonesia.
“We’ve been working together ever since,” she says. Sienna designs the swimwear, and the company makes them. So far, Bikini Blend has three collections. The first one, Sunset, had three different types of tops and bottoms to mix and match. The Ocean and Island collections also have three sets of bikinis.
Five percent of proceeds from sales goes to various charities, including ocean preservation and relief efforts in Ukraine.
Giving back in many ways is important to Sienna, but her main emphasis is on body positivity. “I go back to the message that when we’re on our deathbed, we’re not thinking, ‘I should have lost more weight,’ or, ‘I shouldn’t have worn that bikini.’ We should live our life to the fullest,” she says.
Bikini Blend
Instagram: @bikini_blend
