we caught up with the incredibly chic entrepreneur and mother to chat about her life in Palm Beach and Bermuda, and the inspiration behind her beautiful sun hat brand.
tell us about yourself! where you're located, about your beautiful family and inspiring career.
i am a born & raised Texan, but after a decade working in New York covering fashion and decor at magazines like Veranda, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Town & Country, and more, i moved to my husband’s home country of Bermuda in 2019. two years ago, we bought a fixer-upper historic cottage in Flamingo Park Historic district of West Palm Beach. so, we now split our time between Bermuda and Palm Beach….we are always chasing the sun!
tell us what brought you to Bermuda:
my husband’s family shipwrecked into Bermuda in the 1600s, so all of his immediate family and most of his cousins and relatives call Bermuda home. after both living in New York for so long, we wanted a slower, more family-centric life…so, we moved to Bermuda.
tell us about Sarah Bray Bermuda and what inspired you to start a brand:
necessity is the mother of invention! the sun hats were initially inspired by Bermuda’s windy weather and boat days where a secured hat is helpful. i always need a hat with ties on them, but i wasn’t aesthetically fond of the brown leather cords and black ribbon ties that are commonly, permanently sewn onto sun hats.
conveniently, i collect vintage and antique ribbons (i’ve upcycled sun hats from thrift stores solely for myself for the past decade!) — so this met with my love of styling an accessory in infinite ways, and always considering Bermuda’s windy weather, come together in every hat i make.
if you’ve ever been on the beach or on a boat in Bermuda, you know it’s windy! so i started making sun hats just for myself with ribbons to tie under my chin and into my hair to keep my hat from flying away. woven from biodegradable palm tree leaves, each sun hat features antique and vintage ribbons that are interchangeable (so you can change your ribbon to match your dress or swimsuit!).
what are your favorite minnow pieces from the spring collection?
i love the pale banana yellow one piece and pareo combo! so chic!
what are your favorite things to do on Bermuda?
i love to grab coffee at The Botanist at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art and then go for a walk on the Railway Trail or the tropical jungles surrounding Cooper’s Island and Blue Hole. i am obsessed with antiquing for English island treasures — my favorite antiques store is Hilgroves. my favorite shop for gifts is Tuck Shop (they also have the best iced coffee and blueberry scones!).
now, in the spirit of spring break and warm-weather getaways, we have a few travel-related questions…
my go-to in-flight beverage is:
Goslings (historic Bermudian rum brand) Swizzle on Bermuda Air
my go-to travel uniform is:
white jeans, ivory cashmere sweater, Adidas sneakers.
my biggest piece of advice when traveling with children:
find a quiet, unoccupied gate and get some zoomies/energy out before boarding.
aisle or window:
window
my favorite souvenir:
something handmade by a local artist or maker.
my room service order is:
cheeseburger and Diet Coke
my bucket list destination:
Japan, Thailand, Korea, China… i am obsessed with Asian art and would love to explore so many countries.
my favorite destination for family travel:
The Cotswolds — so many playgrounds, nature trails, and animal parks.
my favorite vacation memory:
when my son, Clarke, was not even one, we went to Scotland for a week and bought him a tiny Scottish kilt. it was hysterical to see him crawling around in his kilt!
