Note to layout:
Pics in share
Blurb 1: I remember Halle Berry emulating Ursula Andress from Dr. No of the 60s coming out of the sea; it was an iconic bikini scene with weapon attached to it. And Pam Anderson, I can’t think of anyone else that made headlines like that.
Blurb 2: The beach, which was once the most casual environment for any kind of function, is now a popular terrain for formal occasions ranging from the office functions to destination weddings. The change has moved designers to come up with collections or labels that meet the above demand.
Add logo and description: Fashion Edit by Ajai Vir Singh
Every blissful weekend spent on a beach or a long weekend, is adding to a category which is taking the fashion world by storm. Once a neglected and often times a non-existent category of covering yourself or hardly covering yourself on the beach, is now a star in the fashion line-up. Yes we have seen the black and white or earlier colour photos of cote d’Azur or Ravanello, where the celebrities on vacation were visible sporting swimwear, which had just come of age and were still confused with sportswear of yesteryears; they were photographed, but were nowhere in terms of influence as were the other fashion garments for different occasions.
This modest beginning also gave rise to a beach native Fred Prysquel, who was actually a photographer and an automobile enthusiast in St Tropez, who explored the idea of making swim shorts using material which was used by yachts on their sails, so the material could dry quicker; this swimwear idea gave rise to the now premier beachwear label Vilebrequin, which over the years has established itself quite comfortably in the luxury swimwear category.
Stories like those of Vilebrequin, are a few and far in between; there are some surf brands who have made a mark, like O’neill, Billabong, Quiksilver; while these brands were focused on surfing, the beachwear or swimwear brands or even images of celebrities wearing iconic swimwear pieces are scarce. I remember Halle Berry emulating Ursula Andress from Dr. No of the 60s coming out of the sea; it was an iconic bikini scene with weapon attached to it. And Pam Anderson, I can’t think of anyone else that made headlines like that.
I am only establishing the fact that the above illustration pretty much represented the business impact, swimwear as a brand, created in the global fashion scene. It was just marginal.
Since 2010, it’s a different scenario; this category of clothing has grown at an encouraging pace, and by next year the swimwear market is supposed to touch $ 20 billion globally. This is quite an interesting move, which has quite a few dynamic parts to this equation starting from China, India, hyper increase in air-travel, the changed patterns of holiday making or vacationing, lodging options, media, beach-based events and even increase in corporate functions and destination weddings.
The millennial of China is on a move to explore the beach destinations, and he wants to dress the part, so does a corporate executive who is craving a vacation, and in today’s complex work environments, vacation is more skewed towards a beach holiday. Also, the current generation of Indian travellers who are in their mid-twenties are now spending far more time on the beach than their parents did, who were bound by societal barriers to reach the beach.
The beach, which was once the most casual environment for any kind of function, is now a popular terrain for formal occasions ranging from the office functions to destination weddings. The change has moved designers to come up with collections or labels that meet the above demand. These opportunities have given rise to a season that now regularly shows fashion garments for fashion retail stores which equips the wardrobes of fashion conscious vacationers.
For a clever thinking designer, this is an opportunity that will open up new business direction, and it is a business opportunity that should give rise to a band of designers who will just focus on swimwear. It requires a beach mind-set and on top of that a fun environment to create collections for. This may be the right time to sow on this ground to reap a harvest that could lead to a creation of brands in the swimwear and beachwear category, especially in Asia.
So here is to the beach and the bliss!
Pics in share
Blurb 1: I remember Halle Berry emulating Ursula Andress from Dr. No of the 60s coming out of the sea; it was an iconic bikini scene with weapon attached to it. And Pam Anderson, I can’t think of anyone else that made headlines like that.
Blurb 2: The beach, which was once the most casual environment for any kind of function, is now a popular terrain for formal occasions ranging from the office functions to destination weddings. The change has moved designers to come up with collections or labels that meet the above demand.
Add logo and description: Fashion Edit by Ajai Vir Singh
Every blissful weekend spent on a beach or a long weekend, is adding to a category which is taking the fashion world by storm. Once a neglected and often times a non-existent category of covering yourself or hardly covering yourself on the beach, is now a star in the fashion line-up. Yes we have seen the black and white or earlier colour photos of cote d’Azur or Ravanello, where the celebrities on vacation were visible sporting swimwear, which had just come of age and were still confused with sportswear of yesteryears; they were photographed, but were nowhere in terms of influence as were the other fashion garments for different occasions.
This modest beginning also gave rise to a beach native Fred Prysquel, who was actually a photographer and an automobile enthusiast in St Tropez, who explored the idea of making swim shorts using material which was used by yachts on their sails, so the material could dry quicker; this swimwear idea gave rise to the now premier beachwear label Vilebrequin, which over the years has established itself quite comfortably in the luxury swimwear category.
Stories like those of Vilebrequin, are a few and far in between; there are some surf brands who have made a mark, like O’neill, Billabong, Quiksilver; while these brands were focused on surfing, the beachwear or swimwear brands or even images of celebrities wearing iconic swimwear pieces are scarce. I remember Halle Berry emulating Ursula Andress from Dr. No of the 60s coming out of the sea; it was an iconic bikini scene with weapon attached to it. And Pam Anderson, I can’t think of anyone else that made headlines like that.
I am only establishing the fact that the above illustration pretty much represented the business impact, swimwear as a brand, created in the global fashion scene. It was just marginal.
Since 2010, it’s a different scenario; this category of clothing has grown at an encouraging pace, and by next year the swimwear market is supposed to touch $ 20 billion globally. This is quite an interesting move, which has quite a few dynamic parts to this equation starting from China, India, hyper increase in air-travel, the changed patterns of holiday making or vacationing, lodging options, media, beach-based events and even increase in corporate functions and destination weddings.
The millennial of China is on a move to explore the beach destinations, and he wants to dress the part, so does a corporate executive who is craving a vacation, and in today’s complex work environments, vacation is more skewed towards a beach holiday. Also, the current generation of Indian travellers who are in their mid-twenties are now spending far more time on the beach than their parents did, who were bound by societal barriers to reach the beach.
The beach, which was once the most casual environment for any kind of function, is now a popular terrain for formal occasions ranging from the office functions to destination weddings. The change has moved designers to come up with collections or labels that meet the above demand. These opportunities have given rise to a season that now regularly shows fashion garments for fashion retail stores which equips the wardrobes of fashion conscious vacationers.
For a clever thinking designer, this is an opportunity that will open up new business direction, and it is a business opportunity that should give rise to a band of designers who will just focus on swimwear. It requires a beach mind-set and on top of that a fun environment to create collections for. This may be the right time to sow on this ground to reap a harvest that could lead to a creation of brands in the swimwear and beachwear category, especially in Asia.
So here is to the beach and the bliss!