STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

DURING A CATAMARAN cruise off the coast of Bermuda, I fell into easy conversation with Kim Deuss, a young designer with sun-streaked blonde hair and a lifelong passion for the sea. She grew up on the island, then, after high school, got her BFA from Parsons School of Design and worked for various fashion companies in New York. “I was like many Bermuda kids, who long to get off the island and explore the world,” she said.

But Deuss found the pull of home too strong, and last year returned to launch a chic