In the Swim : Velvet? Raffia? These and other unconventional fabrics are hitting the beach. And in hues-pine and wine anyone?-you never imagined.
In a switch sure to spell relief for many women, swimwear designers this year seem more fascinated with fabric than body parts. Instead of cranking out amazing new ways to expose legs, waists, busts and bottoms, they have unleashed their creativity on textures, patterns and colors.
“We’ve been talking big bust pads and push-up bras for a couple years,” says Natalie Walker, designer of the Sassafras, Sessa, Citrus and Too Hot Brazil labels. “Now, the latest thing to talk about is fabric and how that’s taking the big jump.”
Looking for new ways to draw consumers to the racks, designers have turned backward and forward for fabric inspirations--from Woodstock to rain forests, from menswear to MTV, from wallpaper to seed packets, from Hollywood heydays to European runways. The result: sensual suits reflecting anything from the call of the wild to the call of the Gap.
“Everything has texture, either printed or real,” says Anne Cole, designer of the collection bearing her name. “A swimsuit is a tiny third of a yard. It pushes the envelope daily to think what it is you want to do. When you think of Lycra or cotton-Lycra, that’s not enough to inspire you, so lately there are a lot of twists and turns.”
Cole takes the natural road with linen-Lycra whipped into a beige and navy color-blocked maillot. She also goes for bare-bones simplicity in a thermal underwear-inspired fabric, dyed tangy lemon or hot pink, used for a lingerie-style maillot decorated with one tiny bow. It is an update of the popular Cole of California suit introduced 10 years ago in slick nylon tricot.
Other labels take an even bigger leap back in time--to free spirits swathed in velvet, velour, crochet, macrame, patchwork, tie-dye and daisies.
Robin Piccone, designer of RX, Body Glove and aneponymous label, turns hand-crocheted white cotton into bikinis. There are also hand-crafted tie-dyed suits, each one a little different, she says. Some of her two-piece suits are strewn with daisy appliques; others come in pine green and aubergine panne velvet trimmed with antiqued gold brooches.
In defense of winter jewel tones on the beach, Piccone says: “They are unusual colors for swimwear. But I think they are very easy to wear. They look good on a lot of skin types.”
Color is definitely an issue this year. Will women trot off to sea and sand in what some see as sportswear colors--burgundy, brown, beige, hunter green--or will they snub them for time-honored beach hues, such as turquoise, red and yellow?
Gary Nickerson, president of La Blanca swimwear, is betting on basic beach colors. “I am sure there are seven chic ladies in Southampton who want brown or olive,” he says. “But in real life, I think people want the fun colors. They make a person feel young.”
Among La Blanca’s summer lineup is a bright coral two-piece in a diamond-shaped Jacquard accented with diamond-shaped silver snaps. The fabric has a lot going for it in addition to its color. The nylon-Lycra blend with the feel of cotton “gives women a sense of security,” Nickerson says. “The thickness, the pattern and the texture tend to flatter.”
A number of companies are flattering figures with earthy tones and textures.
The Gottex lineup includes tribal and animal prints in cinnamon, cayenne, coffee and chocolate--dusted with gold. A matching bikini and strapless beach dress are fashioned in one of the season’s more exotic fabrics: a camel-colored, high-textured raffia, rubber and Lycra blend.
Bendigo International, with a trio of logos (Bendigo, Gold Coast and Cheekie), introduced a similar sexy fabric three years ago. It surfaces this summer in solid or checkerboard-patterned suits and a simulated grass skirt.
Bendigo’s summer lineup also includes plaids. The California beach girl variety is a brightly colored gingham textured with puffed flowers. The more sophisticated variety is a one-piece suit with sweetheart neckline in a bronze ribbed and Jacquard combination.
Other companies borrow plaids and stripes from menswear departments or from “your boyfriend’s closet,” as Tony Johnson, vice president of Shok, calls it. Last year, the company introduced brushed plaid fabrics. This year, a Shok bikini is encircled in wine and cream menswear stripes and garnished with a “texture-driven” macrame flower.
As proof that you can have it all this summer, Mossimo takes plaid to the limit. For women who like their boyfriends’ closets, bikinis come in a vintage Lycra-flannel. And for those who like their swimsuits strictly feminine, there is a trompe l’oeil plaid-velvet and mesh maillot.
