Aussie label
Flamingo Sands has wowed the overseas buyers at RAFW in Sydney, with a steamy show of bright, colourful and creative swimwear for all body shapes.
"Wow! That's fantastic!" said the label's Jane Hages when she heard that a Japanese buyer preferred her collection to Zimmerman's.
"It's been our aim to gather more international orders while we're here, and we had invited loads of buyers from Selfridges, Urban Outfitters, Harrods and Frockshop too," piped Nicky Rowsell, partner in the label.
The Spring/Summer 08/09 range, A Wonderful Life ,is full of vibrant florals mixed with croc print, zebra, rainbow stripes, hearts, ruffles, tie-sides and butterflies. Shapes were not limited to the generally unflattering (if you're bigger than a stick) tie-side and triangle 'kini. Fuller pants, more supportive tops, one-pieces and some crazy cut away onesies were shown, along with matching over-tog pool-side wear.
The girls agree that Aussies do swimwear well in general. "Aussie swimwear is fun and it isn't trend-driven. In summer most of us just want to wear bright colours and get a (safe) tan. So I think that swimwear in general is beyond trends, and this collection is all about colour and fun."
The wide-range of patterns were developed by Hages and Rowsell themselves, as well as with textile designers such as Sixhands. A posie design featuring dark pansies and dusky roses on a psyched-out blue croc print was a Sixhands pattern and certainly a star of the show.
A fashion investor who could double for an Italian count was seated next to us during the show and commented that everyone he had spoken to agree that Flamingo Sands is going to be big, big big. If they keep up the wild patterns and keep looking to their own inspirations, the count's prediction is bound to come true.