A brand I discovered on social media is Mertailor. He is a designer doing not only men’s and women’s swimwear. He also designs mermaid and mermen tails. The entire line he creates is super fun. I got a chance to talk to the Mertailor, Eric, for a talk about his brand.

I first saw your brand thanks to DW Chase, he posted a picture in one of your swim bikinis. For those of our readers who don’t know about you, tell us about your brand, how did you get started making swimwear?

A: Well, true story! I love Tail! Lol – Actually, when I was a young boy, I love mermaids, Mermen, and the underwater world. So much that I started a company that made functional, mermaid tails that you can swim in. In the process of this, growing up, discovering myself, I always wanted to take my talents and knowledge to the next level. I knew that I had to take my concepts and turn them into everyday attire. I figure the best was to do this was fashion. Why no swimwear, right? It’s fitting! Suits and tails for swimming! So, I created my first line of men’s swimwear, Mertailor Men. It’s been a fun adventure and it’s been far from easy. But, if it were easy, everyone could do it, right?

You initially started making mermaid tails, which are pretty cool! How did that transition into swimwear? 

A: My grandparents actually were the original source to thank for my ambitions today. My family and friends support it now. When I was a kid, they brought me to Weeki Wachee Springs to see the mermaid show. It was all glitz, glamour, and a total dream fantasy come true. At that point, I knew I had to do something so unique and unusual to fulfill my fancy. I chose to start making tails for myself, eventually, I was contracted at Weeki Wachee Springs to make my tails, then I started my company making tails, and it just grew from there. From working with spandex fabrics, making patterns, the ability to design and execute, it was an amazing transition.

You make swimwear for men, women, and kids. Did you start with one category or start with them all at once? 

I started with the men’s line. As a gay male, I initially wanted my own swimwear for myself and my male clients. Believe it or not, there’s a ton of men who wear tails! It’s amazing! Talk about self-expression. I realized that I had to have matching sets for women and kids. So, we started doing it all. However, my passion for swimwear is directed towards the men’s line. Without a doubt, we are a company that produces items for all genders.

The men’s swimwear is awesome. I love the bikinis and the sea themed prints. It’s like you turned the tails into swimwear! Why did you do the cuts (bikini, trunk, and compression)? 

Honestly, they are sexy and popular. But, I wanted to put a twist on the normal. I wanted to show my art to the world and bring awareness of the ocean in a different way than most designers would do.

Which style do your customers tend to buy the most? 

From what we have seen, our bikini briefs have been our top sellers.

One thing I thought of is, we have a good mix of readers gay and straight. It would be awesome for men and women to get matching print swimwear. Have you had customers comment that they are doing this? 

Oh yes! We have both genders purchase multiple matching items!

My personal favorite print is the Octopus Rock Gold Bomber Trunk! Super fun. How do you find your awesome prints? Do you design them or find them?

Well, I’m extremely artistic and we have a team of artists who share my crazy directions.

Your bio said you used to be a Merman, do you still swim? 

Oh yes, as much as I can. Lately not as much as I would appreciate. We act had an underwater studio put in to photograph our products underwater and poolside! This is my grotto 😉

Where can our readers find your awesome swimwear? 

They can visit our website www.themertailor.com and click on the links that send them to our swimwear pages 🙂