Swim Week Colombo steps up to promote Sri Lanka as an international swimwear destination

Swim Week Colombo, presented by OLU Tropical Water and Asia’s first fashion week dedicated to swimwear, announces a new season. Swim Week Colombo is a technical collaboration with Linea Aqua, a world-class manufacturer of swimwear, and an international platform and hub for swimwear, bringing together leading designers, manufacturers, buyers, retailers and media for an exciting series of runway shows, fashion talks and retail segments from 24 to 26 June 2016.

As the location of an international swimwear platform, there is none better than Sri Lanka. It boasts a young, vibrant fashion industry that is on the move, state-of-the-art manufacturing, proximity to various markets that show the potential and promise of swimwear retail.As an island, dubbed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka draws tourists from all parts of the world to its tropical paradise.Sri Lanka has a natural climate that is ideally suited for swim and beachwear fashion, and many Sri Lankan designers already carry sensitivity to the lifestyle and culture of a beach destination. The unique environment of Sri Lanka inspires designers to create swim fashion. All of this comes together well on an island that is home to the most beautiful beaches and tropical living.
Swim Week Colombo, as Asia’s premier swimwear fashion week, aims to provide an international platform to further develop and promote the strengths of Sri Lankan designers in their foray into swimwear. It also provides the opportunity for leading international swimwear designers to showcase and retail the latest trends and collections to capture a growing audience for swimwear in the South Asian region. 

“Can we raise the bar to position Sri Lanka as a swimwear hub? Yes, we can. I see all the signs needed to move in faith. It is an opportunity worth going for. This will also bring an amazing lifestyle positioning relevant to Sri Lanka,” says Ajai V. Singh, Founder and President, Colombo Fashion Week.

Presenting 14 leading Sri Lankan and international designers on the runway, Swim Week Colombo will be the merging point for designers, manufacturers, buyers, retailers and media. It also introduces for the first time, TrendSwim, a meeting of minds between thought leaders and influencers who will discuss the trends and innovations of the swimwear industry today. Swim Wall, a unique retail segment, will provide participating designers the opportunity to retail their collections straight off the runway, both offline and online.

Swim Week Colombo is also enriched by its partnerships with Nations Trust Bank American Express, Hilton Colombo, Land Rover, Unilever Sri Lanka, Ramani Fernando Salons, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide – who believe in its vision and aspirations.

As swimwear continues to be a high-growth category in the global fashion industry, Swim Week Colombo provides a unique opportunity to Sri Lankan designers to venture into this growing category and reach an international audience. Armed with over 12 years of experience of impacting the fashion industry and a strategic partnership that showcases the best in swimwear production, Swim Week Colombo aims to make a global impact through a specific season.