New Looks and New Deals at Miami Swim Show

Despite the humid climate outside, newness was in the air inside the Miami International Merchandise Mart during the July 20–24 run of the Swimwear Association of Florida’s Cruise 2003 Swimwear Show. Among the news released at the show:

bull; Former Bisou Bisou swimwear designer Christina Andrade, who started her own designer swim label called Studio Italia last year, debuted a new contemporary junior label, Barely Brooke (which is designed with TV personality Brooke Burke from E! Entertainment’s “Wild On”). Andrade said the 90-piece collection, which retails for $88 to $119, would be aimed at department stores and better boutiques. Deliveries begin 11/30.

bull; Los Angeles-based Authentic Fitness, which debuted a new junior label called Sunset Beach and lifestyle brand Anne Cole Locker at the show, will also be entering the junior sportswear market in 2004.

bull; Speedo, a division of Authentic Fitness, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. The company introduced several new youthful and edgy designs for their athletic junior customer. The 60-piece collection featured a two-piece halter with front tie and low-riding hipster bottoms and reversible swimsuits with conversational prints, including comic book prints and tropical scenes.

bull; Quiksilver is beginning a campaign that will target the growing children’s swim market with Raisins Girls, Roxy Girls and Teenie Wahine, which recently expanded its sizing to include sizes 4–6X, as well as Roxy Girls 7–16.

bull; Los Angeles-based Blue Point, which launched four new contemporary collections and a better girls’ collection at the show—Meni Club, Fior di Pelle, Flirt, Erka and Corelli, respectively—is counting on a 30 percent increase in sales for next year. The company puts sales in the range of $5 million, said chief executive officer Dimitri Kanavos.

bull; Orange County, Calif.-based Jamaican Style introduced a new line of denim for juniors. Gadzooks, Alloy and Diane’s were among several retailers that made appointments to view the 60-piece stretch denim collection, said Mike Cohen, Jamaican Style’s national sales manager.

bull; New York-based Liz Claiborne offered a smorgasbord of clean and sophisticated missy swimwear and cover-ups for Cruise 2003, including a seersucker side-button tank dress and hooded terry cloth and Johnny-collar dresses, with deliveries beginning 10/15. Retailers such as May Department Stores showed strong interest in the company’s new young missy collection, LIZSLIM.

bull; The Miami Swim Show marked the debut of the new Jantzen collection under new parent company Perry Ellis International. A few hundred guests turned out for the company’s Cruise 2003 festivities at the Palm Hotel in Miami Beach, which included a retrospective of nostalgic swimwear dating back to the 1920s.

Perry Ellis’ president and chief operating officer, Oscar Feldenkreis, said the company, which also acquired the licenses to produce Nike and Tommy Hilfiger swimwear, is planning a 25 percent growth in sales next year and hopes to increase its specialty store accounts by 10 percent. Plans to expand Jantzen’s brand with sportswear and accessories are currently in the works, he said. —Claudia Figueroa