Chamorrita
CHAMORRITA
Island Style in a Cheeky Cut
Sandrine Stewart didn’t move from San Diego to Guam five years ago to start a swimwear line, but she soon spotted an opportunity on the beach.
She found plenty of urban streetwear looks for men, but for the chamorritas—Guam’s indigenous charmorro girls—the cheeky-cut bikini was a novel idea.
Stewart launched Chamorrita, a collection of itsy-bitsy bikinis in island-inspired colors and prints and trimmed with tropical details such as coconut and mother-of-pearl shells. The company also serves as a platform for local models and photographers. Eventually, she hopes to produce fashion shows, as well.
“I’d like to think of the line as a first in the local fashion industry,” said Stewart, who was born in France, grew up in Germany and whose career has taken her around the world. “Chamorrita swimwear is a cheeky line with modern looks but with an island touch, from the prints, colors, and with shell and coco accessories.”
The line officially launched in 2013. Stewart researched several nearby apparel centers to produce the line, which is currently made in Indonesia, but she’s considering moving production to the U.S.
Guam is a U.S. territory. While it’s a 15-hour flight from Guam to the U.S., shipping between the two countries is relatively quick and inexpensive. “The product can easily ship within three to five days to the U.S. since we use the same USPS services,” Stewart said. “Shipping rates are the same as the continental U.S.”
The collection also includes coconut belts and arm wraps, which are currently handmade by Stewart.
Chamorrita swim separates, which are wholesale priced from $16.50 to $25, are sold at a local shop on Guam, Sunglasses Etc. in the Agana Shopping Center. The suits are also sold online and have been picked up by customers in the mainland U.S., Hawaii, New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Croatia and France.
For more information, visit www.chamorritaswimwear.com.
