CANDID Interview: Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin
Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin is an explorer, an adventurer, an immigrant and an entrepreneur. She launched direct-to-consumer swimwear brand, Summersalt, with co-founder Lori Coulter. Creating affordable, eco-friendly and luxurious swimwear for women so that they can feel comfortable and confident in their adventuring. Summersalt has been featured in Elle, Glamour, Refinery29, Goop and many more!
Reshma is Chief Brand & Digital Officer at Summersalt. A woman on the go, she's based out of NYC, St. Louis and everywhere she can possibly visit.
“I think more often than not fear holds us back from really extraordinary things. Once you let go of the fear and know that you might make mistakes but they will continue to lead you to something even better, it gets easier to challenge yourself and keep going.”
My personal style I guess I am still discovering and it constantly evolves. It also depends on where I am and what I am doing. When I’m in NYC I’m wearing things that make me feel comfortable in that environment while still being an individual or while I’m in Mumbai, I want to be comfortable in the heat but still look put together; I’ll mix Indian textiles with jeans etc. My motto is always to stand out while fitting in whether that is in Nairobi, Paris, Mumbai or London! I love incorporating pieces and finds from all my travels in my daily wardrobe.
The best piece(s) of fashion armor in my closet are a great pair of high-waisted jeans. I feel comfortable in them no matter where I am; I can dress jeans down with a white t’shirt or dress it up with a great shirt and heels. Jeans are also universal - everyone wears them and it is a great way to feel comfortable in any environment!
I’m making my mark with the swimwear startup I launched called Summersalt and we’re working hard to change the conversation around swimwear. Swimwear has often been a source of anxiety, due to its over sexualization. Swimwear is meant to be fun, playful, colorful and sexy on our own terms. We recently launched a collection called Power Suits; you can read more about it on forbes.com here. I was so proud to be able to create swimwear with 5 incredible women, tell their stories and solve swimwear woes. We want to encourage women to dive in, wherever life might lead.
A professional/personal challenge that keeps me up at night is that I’m always thinking of how we can create product that solves problems for wonderful customers and how we can reach even more people and show them more about Summersalt. I love to work through new ideas, marketing initiatives and more.
In moments of self-doubt I build myself back up by reminding myself that I am fucking awesome. Can we swear on CANDID? Ha! I think more often than not fear holds us back from really extraordinary things. Once you let go of the fear and know that you might make mistakes but they will continue to lead you to something even better, it gets easier to challenge yourself and keep going.
Words of wisdom that resonate with me are, “Be kind to one another.” Ellen Degeneres says this at the end of every show - those words are so powerful. How can we choose to be kind to one another in every instance. I see people around me getting frustrated if their drink was not made right or if someone bumps into them - but what if instead of reacting, we just were kind? I’ve seen amazing things happen when I say hi, how are you? Or don’t worry about it - it’s just a drink or hey, how’s your day. I try to approach every one I interact with with kindness, knowing that everyone has a story and we really can’t sweat the small stuff. ;)
I stay true to my passions by… My true passion is animals and traveling. Those two passions inspire me to continue to work hard, so I can travel more and help more animals. I make the time to explore and challenge myself to see even more of this gorgeous planet!
I’m most proud of my positivity. I’ve worked hard at it and I continue to work on it everyday.
The one thing I would like to say to every woman in the world is Fucking go for it. Don’t let anyone hold you back from what you want. Ask for it, work for it and you’ll get more than you ever imagined.
Shop Reshma's power pieces! And check out her go-to custom Indian clothier Phera.
Sharing a similar affinity on living life to the fullest, always with kindness, and not fucking sweating the small stuff, Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin always goes for it, no holds bar, with incredible drive and passion. Her on-the-move lifestyle lends itself to the fast-paced beat of the entrepreneurial world. When she’s not explicitly championing fabulous and affordable swimwear you can find her happily globe trotting, visiting family and friends, and experiencing the abundance of our planet. x LKS