A former lifeguard at Riis Park, Bardo sought to develop an elegant, minimalist style line of swimwear that is New York made. She launched Bay 2 Swimwear in Nov. 2021, offering both two piece and single piece suits, ranging XS-XL. Pieces can be mixed and matched.
Photo: Lourenso Ramautar
“The ocean has always been my happy place. I constantly found myself searching for the ideal swimsuit—one that looked great and stayed put in the waves. I love swimwear and was often disappointed by my purchases that turned out to be made of uncomfortable fabric, see through when wet, or just not conducive to activity. This search eventually led me to create Bay 2 Swimwear, a unique line inspired by my experiences living and working on the beaches of New York City and the East Coast. All of the swimsuits are designed with double lined luxe fabrics that flatter and support all body types and inspire confidence without sacrificing comfort. The suits are sustainably designed and produced in New York City.”
For the week of March 7-March 13, in support of International Women’s Day, Bay 2 will be donating 20% of proceeds from sales to Girls Inc. Foundation.
In June, Bardo will unveil Bay 2’s Summer 2022 line, that will include environmentally-friendly suits, made from recycled fabrics.
Entrepreneur Sterling McDavid, CEO of The Starling Project, hosted the first of many “Starling Supper” events on last week at Kola House. The event provided a forum to discuss the benefits of solar energy and collective action.
Victoria’s Secret model (and founder of Project TseHigh) Grace Mahary, another solar energy advocate, co-hosted the event with McDavid. Guests had to leave their phones at the door, experiencing a candlelit dinner — lit by Starling Project Candles — illustrating the power of light and the amazing work people can do when they come together. In a time of uncertainty, coming together in favor of the greater good has never been more relevant.
“It was incredibly special having so many accomplished, passionate women in one room for the first ever Starling Supper on the eve of International Women’s Day,” began Sterling when talking to Downtown. “Everyone experienced firsthand the power of collective action, which is what The Starling Project truly stands for. We discussed the unique solutions solar energy can provide to women and children in rural communities around the world. It was an intimate, candle-lit evening filled with inspiring conversation.”
A photo from the first Starling Supper
When asked what she has coming up besides her Starling Suppers, Sterling had plenty to say: “I am thrilled to introduce a new scent to the Starling Project candle collection that launched this month: Hyacinth + Bamboo. This scent is particularly meaningful as it was inspired by my first UNICEF field visit to Vietnam. After witnessing all that solar energy can do on that trip, I ultimately left my job on Wall Street and set out on a mission to start a socially conscious brand that would benefit the solar energy cause.”
She had more to say about the new scented candle: “The Hyacinth + Bamboo candle features the fresh notes of the flowering bamboo plant, which is native to the Asian landscape.” As the sale of each Starling Candle will help provide solar energy to an under-resourced community, The Starling Project recently gave over $100,000 to UNICEF to provide solar energy to rural communities in Chad. She continued: “The new project will provide solar energy to hospitals in Rwanda where reliable power sources are critical for the storage of lifesaving vaccines and supplies. I feel particularly connected to Rwanda having visited the country with UNICEF a few months ago and I look forward to witnessing the benefit we will make on this incredible part of the world.”
To further promote sustainability and women’s empowerment, Sterling and Grace also wore clothing by Symbology, a sustainable clothing label that empowers women artisans worldwide. To continue to raise awareness for the solar cause, Starling Suppers will be replicated later this year by several additional influences such as Tina Craig and Jessie Della Femina.
As with most weeks, plenty of celebrities stopped by the new state-of-the art BUILD Studio’s BUILD Series at 692 Broadway last week. Visitors included Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Felicity Huffman and Jerrod Carmichael, present to discuss their new projects and get up close with fans.
On International Women’s Day specifically, BUILD Series hosted strong, compelling women who lead by example in their own lives that have a direct impact on today’s generation of females. Actress Keri Russell, singer CeCe Winans, designer Tory Burch and Ellevest CEO and co-founder Sallie Krawcheck were among the participants.
Downtown has photos to share from these recent BUILD events, as taken by Mike Pont and Gina DePinto.
