California Apparel News

In its fourth edition, the Swim Collective trade show, held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif., grew to its biggest yet, with more than 100 brands exhibiting.

Sylvia Bailey of Sylvia’s Swimwear in Bellevue, Wash., was one of several West Coast specialty-boutique buyers who chose to shop the Swim Collective, held Aug. 13–14, as a less-frenzied and cost-efficient alternative to the Miami Swim Show, held July 21–24. The king of swim trade shows, Miami Swim Show boasts more than 450 exhibitors representing thousands of lines.

“It’s laid-back, easy to navigate, and it was so personalized. I love that,” Bailey said. “I was going to go to Miami. It was such a hassle. I’ll definitely come back [to Swim Collective]. It’s honestly one of the most relaxed shows I’ve ever been to.”

Bailey’s shop stocks everything “from little kids’ to old ladies’ and everything in between” and met with brands such as Maaji, Tommy Bahama, Raj Manufacturing, Perry Ellis, Anne Cole, Vix and L*Space.

Kelly Ellingson of Maaji said that even for buyers who also attended the Miami Swim Show, Swim Collective was a good follow-up.

“We overview at Miami, so here it’s a lot of people coming back [to write]. The line is so extensive, it sometimes requires [buyers] coming back,” Ellingson said.

Shannon Leggett founded the Swim Collective to give swim brands a platform to exhibit after the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo show shuttered in November 2010.

Established brands said appointments kept their days packed. Beach Riot by Nicole Hanriot is a new brand, but many buyers knew the designer from her work at Tavik. Hanriot also showed at the Miami Swim Show and Agenda in Long Beach, Calif., as well. “Here, it’s a little bit more boutique,” Hanriot said of the type of buyers she saw, which included California retailers Revolve Clothing, Nasty Gal and Wetsand Surf Shop in Ventura.

Jennifer Mohlar of the HM Showroom had several brands on display, including Ipanema sandals, Pily-Q swimwear and Mikoh Swimwear. Mohlar said the Swimwear Collective was a chance to see many West Coast stores—such as Diane’s Beachwear, Canyon Beachwear and Molly Brown’s—and a few surprises. “Miami was great, but we didn’t get a ton of West Coast accounts. For us, especially on West Coast, if you don’t see them at the show, you have to go on the road. Victoria’s Secret stores came here, not Miami,” Mohlar said. She added that Victoria’s Secret catalog buyers attended the Miami Swim Show.

Traveling from Vancouver, Canada, Anna Kosturova does not have a showroom or sales rep on the West Coast and said she “met some valuable contacts.” Kosturova is known for her handmade crochet bikinis and lined coverups, which can also be worn out as dresses.

New faces and new ways to wear

Coverups in bright patterns and separates that could be worn out on the street were popular. B Swim’s “Cheeky Cupcake” bikini bottoms, featuring ruched detail that accentuates the bum, were translated into “party pant” leggings that can be worn out on the street. Monica Wise of L*Space showed her new clothing collection of maxi dresses, skirts and caftans. Though the dresses have a resort feel, Wise said she wanted to “make sure it didn’t feel like a coverup collection.”

Vy Nguyen, founder of Lolli, was one of many swimwear brands that used the Coachella music festival as a potential occasion in which her swimwear could be worn. Some of Lolli’s signature design details are cutout hearts and oversized bows.

Nguyen was pleased with the new contacts met at her first Swim Collective showing, one of whom was a buyer for Nasty Gal. “That made my show for me because she’s hard to get a hold of,” Nguyen said.

Items that had reversible features and could adjust to a number of sizes were key. Kerry Cushman of Kushcush said, “Our one-pieces have been doing a bang-up business.” One of the line’s best-selling styles is a vintage-inspired one-piece that features an adjustable halter behind the neck so that it can adjust to different torso lengths. “We’ve had really awesome sell-throughs with our fit,” Cushman said.

There were a few first-time exhibitors that sat at the intersection of fashion and active lifestyle. Santa Barbara, Calif.–based Dawn Peterson of Made by Dawn designed a few items with swimming in mind. Pretty bikinis and one-pieces will stay secure while playing around, and, on the other hand, a hand-knotted fringe top was purely fashion. Seea from San Clemente, Calif., showed its onesies, rashguards, and bikinis made to keep surfer girls protected from the sun and wardrobe malfunctions. Miami-based Aquarius by Daniella Sredni also incorporated swimwear fabric into dresses and leggings with clean laser-cut edges to fit her “alter ego” as a diver and surfer. “I’m very sporty but also very fashionable. It’s appropriate for daywear but also good for being in the water,” Sredni said.