Barrier began between two islands: Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef and Saint Simons, the barrier island where I grew up. I spent most of my childhood in a bathing suit and was always very particular about how things felt on my skin. I was constantly looking for a suit I could actually stay in all day. Years later, while living on Lady Elliot and spending nearly every day in the water, I started thinking seriously about creating it myself. The name comes from the islands themselves—barrier islands protect the coast behind them, and I loved that sense of strength, protection and connection to the water. Barrier is my version of the suit I always wanted: comfortable, secure and made for the kind of days you never want to end.