Swimwear makers are sailing into the cruise 2006 season armed with a bevy of new trends and strategies to pump up business.
Swimwear was a challenging category at retail this spring, as unseasonably cool weather in much of the country hurt sales, a number of executives said. At the same time, established swim brands are competing against such retail chains as Old Navy, H&M and Target, which have continued to build their private label swim business, especially in the junior category.
“There are a lot of wait-and-see feelings in the market right now,” said Rosemarie DiLorenzo, president of Farmingdale, N.Y.-based Swimwear Anywhere, which makes swimwear for a number of brands, including DKNY and Juicy Couture. “Everyone is also a little nervous about the consolidation of retail firms and what kind of effect that will have.”
Companies are preparing for the industry’s largest trade show, SwimShow 2006, July 16-20 in Miami. The show, sponsored by the Swimwear Association of Florida, is being held in a new location this year, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in South Beach.
Despite a difficult year for the swim business, a number of newcomers are breaking onto the scene for 2006, including some big-name designers and celebs. Michael Kors swimwear will launch from Warnaco Swim Group, and Swimwear Anywhere is introducing Carmen Marc Valvo swim, both of which are made under license. Elizabeth Hurley recently launched an eponymous line, and Naomi Campbell also has a swim brand made in conjunction with Rosa Cha. (See page 42.)
On the fashion front, trends for 2006 are focused on embellishments and ethnic looks, reflecting what is happening on the ready-to-wear runways. Many companies are using elements such as rhinestones, wood and crystals to freshen their offerings. Tankinis are a key silhouette this year, and color continues to drive sales, although hues this season include earth colors, browns and blues, with less emphasis on pink. A number of companies also are incorporating vintage-inspired prints and fabrics into their collections.
“Our main trends this season are bohemian and ethnic influences and embellishment,” said Lisa Bhathal Vogel, executive vice president of Raj Manufacturing, which makes swimwear for Guess, O’Neill, Tommy Hilfiger and St. John Knits, among others. She noted that St. John Knits is getting more contemporary this year, with sexier pieces and some crochet looks.
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On the business side, companies are keeping inventory lean, but most are planning for sales to be up over 2005. Kathy Van Ness, executive vice president of Warnaco Swim Group, said her company has a number of new initiatives to fuel growth. Warnaco, which has been steadily building up its swim business in recent years, bought Op last year, and that company’s swimwear is being relaunched in Miami. (See page 20.) Speedo, which is distributed by Warnaco in the U.S., is introducing the swimwear component of its Axcelerate Engineered by Speedo subbrand. Axcelerate launched in activewear this spring, will hit stores this fall in innerwear and is now entering swim.
“We are melding fashion and performance with this line,” Van Ness noted.
Warnaco has discontinued two other lines — Speedo Platinum, a high-end fashion brand, and Speedo Sport, an active-inspired line — both of which bowed last year at SwimShow.
Warnaco also makes and distributes brands including Choice Calvin Klein, Nautica, Catalina, Anne Cole and Cole of California. It also will begin making the core Calvin Klein swim line for 2006.
“We now have a broad brand portfolio, and our brands cross a lot of channels,” Van Ness said. “We are focused on meeting a broad range of consumer needs and we are optimistic about business conditions for 2006.”
The Michael Kors launch is a significant development for Warnaco because it brings the brand into a higher price realm and further into the designer arena. The company is making products under two lines: Michael Kors and the lower-priced Michael Michael Kors, which will include bandeaus and one-piece cutouts in rich hues such as brown and blue, with hardware elements.
Other swimwear makers are also plotting big moves for this season. Jon Lewis, the new president of Christina America, said his company is planning for “aggressive growth” in 2006. “We have been working to improve our deliveries and grow our private label business,” he noted.
Christina is a division of SEA, the giant swim company that also owns Gottex and Gideon Oberson. Lewis said the Christina brand has narrowed its overall assortment and is focusing on silhouettes such as tankinis. “We also have a number of new fashion elements in this brand, including updated patterns and prints,” he noted.
Christina America also makes XOXO and Skechers brands under license. XOXO is becoming slightly more sophisticated and is expanding its distribution in specialty stores and department stores, while Skechers, which launched at retail this year, has a number of bright colors and patterns to appeal to the always fickle teen customer, Lewis said.
Jantzen, which relaunched last year, is stepping up its business with a slew of new products, said Crosby Healy, senior vice president at Jantzen, which is now a division of Perry Ellis International. “Our goal this year is to continue to reignite the Jantzen brand,” Healy said. “We are one of the original American swim brands and we are building on our heritage.”
In addition to its own brands, such as the new Jantzen Ruby line focused at younger customers, Jantzen also makes swimwear for Nike, Perry Ellis and Original Penguin. Healy said Nike is introducing more fashion-forward suits in its performance collection.
The new Jantzen looks include stripes and prints as well as ethnic touches, said Catherine King, head designer for Jantzen swimwear. “One of our groups has an African feeling, and colors such as brown, red and orange,” she noted.
Perry Ellis swim, meanwhile, has sophisticated designs and suits in hues such as brown and green, said Tracy Marciano, designer for that line. In its second year, the line will have a larger collection, including more cover-ups.
But SwimShow trends are not limited to the big names; some of the smaller swim brands are pumping up their fashion quotient, too. For example, Luli Fama, the 11-year-old brand based in Miami, is mixing colors like teal and soft pink, and also has bright suits in colors such as raspberry and gold, said Lourdes Hanimian, designer. The company is also incorporating Swarovski crystals into some of its new styles.
The company has three divisions: the juniors-driven Cover Style label, the contemporary Moonsplash brand and the Luli Fama designer line.
“We expect 2006 to be up over last year,” Hanimian said. “The West Coast has been taking off.”
Los Angeles-based designer Ashley Paige, who launched her swimwear line about four years ago and is known for crochet looks, has found a niche selling to upscale boutiques. Among the key trends she is focusing on for 2006 are vintage looks and citrus hues, as well as denim-inspired Lycra spandex bikinis. Paige, who makes everything at her store in L.A., is also branching into T-shirts and towels, and using more Lycra in her line.
Island Company, a West Palm Beach, Fla., firm that launched last year, is
introducing lifestyle items, including men’s boardshorts, women’s board skirts, T-shirts and sandals, said Spencer Antle, a co-founder and the company’s creative director.
The company is expecting strong growth this year, and recently moved into a 3,000-square-foot showroom and design space in Palm Beach, Fla., Antle noted. He said the line is in about 150 doors and plans to expand this year in California, Florida and the Northeast.
“We are trying to establish ourselves as a classic constant that the consumer can depend on for fresh, clean colors and accurate sizing, year after year,” Antle said.