Get inspired by the Mediterranean vibes of these swimwear brands made in Spain.
ADVERTISEMENTLooking to wear something different this summer? Get inspired by the Mediterranean vibes of these swimwear brands made in Spain. A little sample of sustainable and independent fashion, which will leave you heading straight to the beach.
Minimal
As a child, Andrea Salinas was a keen diver and practised apnea from the early age of 8. After studying fashion design, later on, she brought together her two passions under the swimwear label Now_Then. “The brand was created with honesty and sustainability at its core. We love the ocean and we want to make our preoccupation for the environment very clear. We also wanted to create designs that are empowering women and not objectifying them, ” Salinas explains.
As a result, the collections are designed for active women that like to surf, dive and explore deep-sea wildlife. The brand has secured an OEKOTEX 100 certification, which ensures none of the fabrics contain toxic chemicals, which could be harmful to the wearer's skin or marine ecosystems. Furthermore, a selected number of items are made out of recycled nylon and petrol-free recycled Japanese rubber.
NOW_THEN recently began a partnership with local organisation Equinac, whose mission is to rescue threatened marine animals in Almería. The brand gave 10 per cent of its sales during World Oceans Day to the NGO and won the British Council Award for best sustainable fashion project in 2017.
Follow the brand: @nowthenlabel
Racy
These tiny bikinis are not for the faint-hearted lady. Born in 2015 in San Diego, California, Luna Beach Swimwear combines a vibrant Mediterranean style with the West Coast laid-back mindset. In other words, it's hot. “Our inspiration comes from our Catalonian homeland, its beautiful coastlines, smells, and nature." says founder Joan Marc. "With my partner Nina, we have learnt a lot living in California and also bring ideas from what we discovered there" he adds.
The duo produces in workshops near Barcelona and collaborate with local suppliers exclusively in order to ensure the smallest environmental cost possible. The current collection takes us back to the 1960’s in California, through designs where bright colours, ethnic motifs and handmade tie dye colouring take centre stage.
Follow the brand: @lunabeach brand
Athleisure
“Suro” means “I float” in Mallorqui, the language spoken in the island of Palma de Mallorca where Margarita Payeras, founder of Suro Swimwear is based. This environmentally-friendly swimwear brand uses Italian lycra made with recycled nylon primarily found at the bottom of the sea. "Abandoned fishing nets are recovered and transformed into sustainable fabrics which we use to produce our bikinis." Payeras explains.
Garbage often aggregate in these synthetic fishnets causing harm to marine ecosystems. The process of collecting and transforming them into textile helps decreasing this threat and has the double benefit of requesting fewer resources - namely water and energy - than making virgin nylon. The garments are then fully assembled in workshops based in Barcelona.
"I like to think of my designs as 'street swimwear' as you can combine them easily with summer clothes that you may wear while walking in town" describes Payeras. The large vertical stripe, sports' bra design and asymmetrical shoulder strap of colour-block swimsuits are all characteristics of athletic wear. Ideal to play beach volley or indulge of vigorous swimming laps in the ocean.
Follow the brand: @suroswimwear
Writer: Lea Surugue
