Girl Meets Boat
Girl graduates college.
Girl thanks parents for the education and announces she's going to sea to work as a deckhand because she might have studied the wrong thing… in college. Thinks she might want to be a marine biologist, so commits to working on a vessel that follows the migration of the whales for 6 months. Parents think, "Huh?"
Girl hops on boat.
Girl finds calling! Immediately realizes she doesn't want to be a marine biologist. Nooo! All she wants to do is live and work at sea. Girl works hard….REAL hard, gets her Captain's license after a couple of years and she's off working on mega yachts, travelling the world. Captain Girl is very happy.
Flash forward 15 years.
Girl is now woman. Woman has enjoyed a solid career as a ship's officer - even met her handsome husband along the way, with whom she has worked most of her career. Woman realizes she has married the glass ceiling and can't work with her husband AND be the Captain. Woman applies rational, retires from yachts and starts a resort wear business. So now Retired Captain Woman can travel the world (with Handsome Captain Husband) for plenty of inspiration to design resort wear and beach cover ups!
And so was launched Isola Isabella,
fine swimsuit cover ups and après beachwear in 2008.
Having travelled to so many beautiful resort destinations during her time at sea, Isola Isabella's Creative Director, Heather Wendell Svec, has developed quite a passion for international warm-weather fashion, and what better way to keep the passion going than to create a line of perfectly refined resort wear. With its extraordinary prints & colors and its fashion forward yet classically tempered silhouettes, the Isola Isabella collection displays strong international influences. Beautiful brights (think exciting European summer fashions) and calm, hushed neutrals (like a billowy, breezy St. Bart's afternoon) pair up with sexy, confident styling and whispery silk in a refined, elegant fusion that will carry you away.
Heather continues her travels, picking up inspiration at every port and sourcing the perfect silks along the way to make sure that whether sauntering through St. Tropez on your way to the beach or dining dockside in Porto Cervo, Isola Isabella has the perfect pieces to take away on holiday. "I have a constant desire to see more and more of the world. I just can't get enough!"
And although a life of travel fits Heather perfectly, she still yearns for a connection to the people and communities she lives in. It was this desire that brought about Isola Isabella's 25% for Education commitment. "Everywhere we've gone, we've made an effort to contribute to the community - and always at the childhood education level. It's at this level where I believe we can make the most difference in the future of a child and, consequently, the community." As a result, 25% of Isola Isabella's profits go directly to educational charities around the globe. "When someone asks me where I live, it's a hard question to answer because we are constantly moving around from one season or year to the next. But wherever we are I want to LIVE there and not just be someone that floats on the surface. Contributing, giving back to the community that is our home is the number one best way to do that."
