Colombian designers shine at Miami Swim Week

Miami Swim Week, a key event in the swimwear and resortwear calendar, has seen a surge in Colombian designers since it fostered a partnership with a government body that promotes Latin American designers.

Now in its third year, 10 Colombian designers showed runway collections, as part of a union between ProColombia and Paraiso Miami Beach.

“The Colombian fashion industry has been gaining worldwide recognition over the last decade, currently we are the number one swimwear provider in Latin America for the United States and number 9 provider worldwide,” says Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, the government agency in charge of promoting Colombian exports internationally.

“Our country offers unique swimwear designs at the forefront of global trends, incorporating innovative techniques and sustainable fabrics and practices. We are also well-known for our delivery times and our flexibility in production volumes. Specifically in the U.S., our swimwear sector, between January and May of 2022, has grown over 70 percent compared to the same period in 2021 and reached exports over 8 million dollars.”

Brands including Alma Arena, Bahama Mama, Bahia Maria and Palmacea Swimwear all showed collections on the runway.

The global swimwear market is set to grow 6.63 billion dollars between 2021 and 2026, according to data from Technavio. The increasing demand for long-sleeve swimsuits is one of the key drivers fueling the swimwear market growth, the company said in a report.