Even when she was a student at New Providence High School, Makena Gallagher had the idea of starting her own swimsuit company. She graduated from New Providence High School with the class of 2019. She currently lives on the North Shore of Oahu and is a sophomore at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.  During quarantine, she finally found the time to research and finally began this process. 

At just 20 years old, Makena has launched her own company, called “Out of the Blue.” Makena lives her life in swimsuits and knows that they can be very intimidating to wear, but she believes that anyone who wants to wear a swimsuit should be able to.

Makena says, “I want to create an environment where people feel loved and comfortable being who they are and wearing what they want. I want to create swimsuits that make you feel good and are comfortable.” 

When she started planning and creating ideas for her swimsuits, Makena took many things into consideration.  

“Even though those late nights and measuring and adjustments on everything get long, I have so much fun working on my suits. I love the creative side of it and am always trying to find ways to create styles that work for various body types,” Makena says. 

Living in Hawai’i, a lot of Makena’s life revolves around her surfing. She believes it’s really important to have fashionable swimsuits that you can be active in as well. 

Another important part of this process for Makena has been keeping sustainability in mind.

She says, “I think a lot of us these days are trying our best to help our earth. I am so happy that I was able to make this company sustainable!” 

Although her company has yet to launch their website, the Instagram page (@outoftheblueswim) has shared some of their products that will be available later in 2021, with the launch date TBD. Swimsuits range from sizes XXS-XXXL, including a wide variety of styles from bikinis, to one pieces, and bathing suits made for surfing, and many more.

When naming each swimsuit, Makena took inspiration from people very close to her. A few of the sets she has released on Instagram are the “Dea set,” “McKenzie set,” “Maile set,” among many more. The patterns she has created are also for everyone’s liking: solid colors, florals designs, fruity, striped, etc. 

Her company is much more than just any swimsuit line, they also have bucket hats, tote bags, stickers, and other items that they will be selling along with free wallpapers inspiring women and empowering confidence.

She says, “My goal is to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable!” 

Makena surprises herself a lot of the time with all she is juggling, between being a college student and other social media work she does. It is crazy to think how just a few years ago she was a student at NPHS like many of us and has now become an entrepreneur with her swimsuit company. Makena is an inspiration to many people through her determination, hard work, and advocacy for inclusivity.

Makena will officially launch her sustainable inclusive swimsuit company in the later months of 2021 and many people are excited to see what else is to come!