Swimwear as streetwear?

At Cochella 2011 we saw lots of emerging trends, one that stood out was the swimwear as street wear trend. This trend is great for music lovers at festivals trying to escape the heat while still looking chic.

• Team swimwear with denim shorts or drainpipe jeans
• Bikini tops, bandeaux or full swimsuits are ideal for summer festival looks
• Slouchy sheer or crochet cover-ups allow swimwear to remain in the spotlight

Updates on the basic

• The sweetheart neckline is noted as a key shape for swimwear in every season, in one piece swimsuits, bandeaus and classic bikini tops
• Braided trims and ruching are popular ways of adding interest to this classic neckline
• Glamazonian animal prints update classic one-piece swimsuits
• Update sweetheart necklines for future seasons with wire inserts and butterfly angle cup

TheNext 2011  

H&M 2011

ISAM at Magic

Founded in 1978 as a non-profit association for swimwear manufacturers world-wide, ISAM (International Swimwear / Activewear Market) was created to strengthen and unify the swimwear industry.

ISAM joined hands with WWD MAGIC in 2005 and now has a presence in both their February and August trade shows in Las Vegas. Both major and specialty store buyers travel from near and far to be the first to see and buy the newest and most fashionable merchandise. From swimwear and beachwear to cover-ups and beach accessories, ISAM at WWD MAGIC is THE place where retailers embark on their purchasing for the upcoming season.

Retailers at this trade show can either purchase after veiwing one of the many fashion shows or from personally approaching one of the manufacturers at a stand. Which ever way they choose, these buyers know how to get these swimsuits from there to a store near us!


Some trends seen this past Feburary
- Print heavy
- Mixing prints
- Bandeau/strapless
- High Contrast

images from : http://www.isamla.com/gallery.php

Q & A with Quiksilver

Interview with  Ozhan Kashkooli, my personal friend and sales rep for Quiksilver in Orange County, California.

Why do you shop there:
Other than loving my discount,  Quiksilver are trend setters when it comes to surfwear. They always have the raddest graphics with great quality. 

Are there any new trends that you are seeing at Quiksilver:
They are always coming out with new ways to reinvent the boardshort. Right now their focus is on new technology in their textiles. Their featured patented textile is a four-way stretch with a Diamond Dobby feature that ensures no rash from eliminating up to 30% of the contact on the skin. This patented technology also has a stretch that has fabric memory so it keeps its shape while still providing flexibility and is quik-dry.  A cool feature that this also features is that its feather light, it feels like your wearing nothing.

Where do you see this trend going:
They already have women's rashguard's that use this technology so i could see them branching out into bikini's and maybe into their everyday clothing.


Below is a short video on some more information on Quiksilver's Diamond Dobby technology, Enjoy!

Billabong Window Display

Green is in! litterrally, Billabong is creating clothing out of recycled materials. Their focus is on coverups, with bright fun prints perfect for the beach or the street! Stripes seems to be a major trend at billabong this season, with basic black and white (which honestly is nothing new). However they are taking a new spin and mainstreaming  new fun color combinations such as the coral and white. Personally I am just excited that there is beachwear on display, showing that summer is just around the corner!