MANGLAR SWIMWEAR
A Brand Between Land and Sea
Designer Irene Sultan’s swim collection, Manglar, pays homage to her Latin roots and cultural upbringing and more than 30 years of experience in textile and fashion manufacturing.
“I am often inspired by fashion, fabric, color, travel and handmade details,” she said.
Sultan’s mother’s family owned a fashion and shoe-store chain in the 1960s, and her father owned Graffiti, a fashion, footwear and home-goods retail chain in Venezuela.
“I became exposed to the fashion industry and learned the ropes of production at a very young age,” she said.
The collection is named for the manglar—or mangrove—trees Sultan would see on sailing trips with her father.
“Since I was very little I used to go to one of the most beautiful beaches in Venezuela, called Morrocoy, and we used to sail between mangroves during the sunset,” she said.
Manglar first launched in Venezuela, but Sultan moved production to Medellín, Colombia, where she found factories that could realize the intricate details—including ties, fringes, laser cuts and threading—in the collection.
Manglar swimwear is print heavy, and Sultan mixes and pairs patterns such as animal prints with tie dye and sea-blue swirls with a black-and-white ethnic trim. Fabrics are sourced from Europe and South America.
“I have always worked with digital printing,” Sultan said. “Digital printing offers a unique color enrichment and realism to drawings. This year, I worked with a group of graphic designers, including my daughter, and for the first time I am incorporating my own patterns in some of my styles.”
The current collection includes 36 styles, including halter-, ruffled bandeau- and bustier-top styles, as well as coverups that include a crochet fringe skirt, a canary-yellow off-the-shoulder boho dress and a geometric deep- V-shaped tunic. Wholesale price points range from $65 to $80.
Manglar is sold at boutiques in South Florida and in Honduras, Panama, Holland, Colombia and Venezuela. They are also sold on their online retail site www.manglarswimwear.com.
For sales information, email info@manglarswimwear.com.
