Swim Week Colombo to showcase the best swimwear trends for 2017 

Fourteen designers, runway shows, fashion talks and retail format 

Swim Week Colombo, presented by OLU Tropical Water, will showcase the top latest swimwear trends for the year 2017, in its new season. Swim Week Colombo is a technical collaboration with state-of-the-art swimwear manufacturer, Linea Aqua, and will feature 14 leading Sri Lankan and international designers on the runway. It will also bring together industry leaders and influencers who will address the latest trends and innovations in swimwear today and host an innovative retail platform for participating designers. Swim Week Colombo will take place from 24 to 26 June at the ECT Terminal, Colombo Port. 

Started in 2015, Swim Week Colombo is Asia’s first fashion week dedicated to swimwear and aims to be the foremost platform for swimwear labels in the region. It is the merging point for swimwear designers, manufacturers, buyers, retailers and media. Sri Lanka boasts some of the world’s most cutting-edge swimwear manufacturing facilities, in addition to its status as a top beach holiday destination. Taking into consideration the strategic positioning of Sri Lanka, Swim Week Colombo aims to be a global swimwear hub and destination. 

"Swim Week Colombo is conceptualised with a big picture in mind, which is to create a destination for a global fashion season in Sri Lanka. It is a big step up, but it is achievable by the grace of God. This will also showcase and create new opportunities for the fashion design fraternity of Sri Lanka. I am very excited with this new move," says Ajai V. Singh – Founder and President, Colombo Fashion Week. 

The Title Partner of Swim Week Colombo, OLU Tropical Water, is a new and proud Sri Lankan brand of natural mineral water with a huge potential to be an international brand. OLU Tropical Water is sourced from one of the rarest cloud forests in Sri Lanka, which are found 4,300 feet above sea level. OLU Tropical Water brings the purest drinking water to consumers and launched to coincide with the inaugural edition of Swim Week Colombo. 

"OLU Tropical Water is proud to be the Title Partner of Swim Week Colombo. I identified its international potential and saw how far it can go; I see Ajai's vision. As a swimwear fashion platform, it can put Sri Lanka on the international fashion map. I believe in Sri Lankan brands making an international mark. OLU is sourced from cloud forests, a unique natural phenomenon that makes it a true mineral water. We have aspirations to make it an international mineral water brand from Sri Lanka. There is synergy between OLU and Swim Week Colombo and we look forward to see it grow from strength to strength," says Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne – Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, OLU Tropical Water. 

From left to right: Ramani Fernando – Ramani Fernando Salons, Manesh Fernando – General Manager, Hilton Colombo, Dammika Ranatunga – Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne – Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, OLU Tropical Water, Ajai V. Singh – Founder and President, Colombo Fashion Week, Priyantha Talwatte – Deputy General Manager – Consumer Banking, Nations Trust Bank American Express, Darshi Keerthisena de Livera - Head of Design, Linea Aqua, Roshi Fernando – Director, SML Frontier Automotive (Pvt.) Ltd. 

Swim Week Colombo partners with Linea Aqua, Sri Lanka’s foremost manufacturer of swimwear, to realize its vision to position Sri Lanka as a hub for swimwear design and manufacturing amongst the global creative class. Linea Aqua has gained wide acclaim for its outstanding manufacturing capabilities which produces swimwear for some of the world’s finest swimwear labels. 

“Linea Aqua is excited to partner Swim Week Colombo for the second year in succession. This year again promises to be an exciting one with several Sri Lankan and international designers showcasing their talent. As one of the world’s leading swimwear manufacturers, Linea Aqua is extremely proud to have been a catalyst in Sri Lanka’s evolution into a leading destination for swimwear manufacture. We look forward to working with Swim Week Colombo to become the number one swimwear fashion platform on the world’s fashion calendar," says Sarinda Unamboowe – Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Linea Aqua. 

Swim Week Colombo is proud to present Nations Trust Bank American Express – the Official Fashion Card of Swim Week Colombo, a card that opens doors to amazing experiences and opportunities not only in Sri Lanka but around the world. 

Swim Week Colombo is also enriched by its partnerships with Hilton Colombo, Land Rover, Ramani Fernando Salons, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Leo Burnett and MSLGroup – who believe in its vision and aspirations. 

The new season of Swim Week Colombo will showcase the latest swimwear collections of 14 designers, spanning three continents – from Sri Lanka, India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The runway shows will take place on 24 and 25 June at an extraordinary new location, the ECT Terminal at the Colombo Port, which will serve as a breath-taking backdrop never witnessed before. These collections will be brought to life on the runway by top international models from Australia, Russia, France, Thailand and Sri Lanka. 

For the first time ever, Swim Week Colombo will host TrendSwim, an engaging and informative series of talks that will bring together thought leaders and influencers in the swimwear to discuss the latest trends, innovations and ideas that are driving the industry today. The official TrendSwim blog will provide exclusive coverage all the happenings on and off the runway. TrendSwim will take place on 25 June at the Hilton Colombo. 

Swim Wall, a unique retail platform, will provide all participating designers the opportunity to retail at Swim Week Colombo and leading retail outlets in Sri Lanka, as well as online on the official Swim Wall e-commerce website. Swim Wall will take place on 25 and 26 June at the Hilton Colombo, and from 26 June to 6 July at ODEL Alexandra Place. The Swim Wall website will be officially launched soon after the shows. 

Swim Week Colombo will bring alive its host city with Swim Food, an exciting segment that sees partnering restaurants offering special promotions and menus in the week of the shows. Swim Party, the official wrap-up party of Swim Week Colombo, will be held on 25 June at Café Francais by Pourcel. Entrance will be by invitation only. 

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. 

Photographs by Kithsiri de Mel