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Jessica Liao Mayers was 21 when she started Slate Swim from her home in November 2015. She spent $300 on fabric and made each product to order on a sewing machine she already owned, fitting the work around her job as a buyer at the apparel company Tobi. Eleven years later, in July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition of the brand, never raising outside capital. Mayers now plans to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand, in spring 2027. Slate stayed in its lane for 11 years, and Mayers resisted suggestions to expand into menswear, resortwear and other adjacent categories.
She told Entrepreneur that everything grew at a slower pace but was very manageable. Slate’s minimalist, seamless swimwear was built on reinvested revenue and a deliberate focus on one category. Mayers never raised outside capital. Instead, she reinvested what the company earned in production, branding, photography and e-commerce, and moved carefully with inventory. In her words, she would much rather be successful at one thing than mediocre at many things.
One influencer’s photo in a Slate piece generated 30 orders overnight, and Mayers also gifted products to people who fit the brand. Slate did not invest in advertising until 2021. The business grew about 76% in its first year of paid marketing after she hired an advertising team with an engineering background, according to Mayers. Slate’s model was direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale, with 92% of the business from direct-to-consumer and 8% from wholesale. Mayers says the company grew 36% year over year in its final three years under her ownership. In July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition after listing the brand with an online brokerage shortly after Slate’s 10th anniversary. She is staying involved to support the transition and plans to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand, in spring 2027.
She says she would do ads sooner if she could change one thing. She told Entrepreneur she was ready to pursue contemporary womenswear and wanted a buyer who would understand the business and value its identity. Mayers says her lawyer described it as the fastest acquisition he had seen.
Mayers tried trend-forward colours, including neon yellow, in one collection and the products performed poorly. Early on, photographers reached out to pull suits for beach and test shoots, giving her high-quality imagery in exchange for credit and tags. She found one with a swim background, fashion knowledge and strong marketing and media instincts. Slate was organised and profitable, and it relied on contractors rather than full-time salaried employees, so the deal moved quickly. She advises founders to start with a genuine point of view, be resourceful, and stay committed for the long haul.