Sophisticated Swimwear from Brigitte Couture
Brigitte Couture is the sort of swimwear one might imagine some elegant, worldly jet-set type wearing to some luxe watering hole on Capri or poolside at Monte Carlo’s Hotel de Paris. The suits are couture for l’eau, or in this case, “das wasser,” according to its German-born designer, Brigitte Palmer.
Palmer, the former designer for the Gottex girls and Catalina swim lines, says she wanted to create “swimwear that is a little more forward” for that “more sophisticated woman who is more interested in being classic.”
Brazilian cuts may be all the rage, but Palmer, with her refined and very European sensibility, understands that “that is not for everyone” and has cut her suits to “leave more to the imagination.”
With that said, Palmer’s 12 styles—pulled together in two weeks to make the last ISAM (International Swim and Activewear Market)—are perfect for the thongphobic or those just wanting to look “sexy, yet tasteful.”
“These are all designed for a woman’s body,” she said.
The San Diego-based designer has looked beyond traditional swim resources for her inspiration. Fabrics are not typical swimwear textiles but more high-end contemporary fabrics.
“I wish swimwear would be a little more forward,” she said. “I wanted my suits to be very different, very exciting, and I think these fabrics give them that.”
Prints include a Scottish plaid, clear-foil print with geometric swirl in black on black or black on white and a slinky gold-foil print. The line also includes a custom-made oversize floral print in buttery yellow, olive and chalky white.
Couture touches, such as the very-Chanel silk flower pinned to an asymmetrical shoulder strap, or the very low cowl neckline on her “Pure Gold” suit, are culled from numerous trend-spotting trips to Europe’s fashion capitals.
Brigitte’s suits are already carried in up-scale boutiques in Hong Kong and the U.S., with plans to roll out in the European market next.
Wholesale prices for the line range from $32 to $39.
For more information, call (858) 623-9277.
