Ever wondered what your swimwear is made of? Or, ever thought of your swimwear as more than just the sum of its cut and colour? Most of us haven’t. Well, I certainly hadn’t–despite being a swimmer! For a tropical country, the Indian swimwear market is very niche. There are far too few options, and if you’d like to consider sustainability as a criteria, your options dwindle further. But we’ve got you covered–or not!
We bring to you three homegrown brands that use better, more planet-friendly materials and promote circularity, without compromising on style.
1. Goya Swim Co.
Go to them for: Versatile, super-stylish swimwear
What they make: Bikini sets, designer one-piece swimsuits & men’s swimwear
Why we love them: Goya Swim Co. was founded in 2022 by Riya Majumdar to do her part in cleaning up the waste produced by the fashion industry, by creating environment-conscious swimwear. The swimwear is made from Repreve, a certified, recycled fabric, made from plastic bottles. And while the question, of how sustainable it is to turn plastic bottles into yarn, still looms large, this is certainly a more planet-friendly alternative to virgin polyester. At Goya, Majumdar is trying to build awareness around plastic pollution, while making sustainable swimwear more accessible.
2. The Summer House
Go to them for: Practical, minimalistic swimwear
What they make: One-piece swimsuits, two-piece swimsuits & beachwear
Why we love them: Founded in 2015, by Shivangini Padhiyar and Rekha Datla, this chic homegrown brand is building upon their passion for traditional crafts and materials. Since they launched their eco-friendly swimwear range in 2017, they have fast become a customer favourite. Swimwear is a niche category for the brand, as it releases only a single collection a year, consisting of approximately 30 pieces. The Summer House creates swimwear designed for the Indian body. To ensure circularity, they work with Econyl, a recycled material produced from discarded fishing nets. This hero material may be produced from waste but feels exactly like our usual swimwear. What a catch!
3. Esha Lal Swimwear
Go to them for: Functional, creative swimwear
What they make: Bikini sets, one-piece swimsuits, trikinis & resort wear
Why we love them: The eponymous swimwear and resort wear label offers a variety of planet-conscious swimwear choices. Launched in 2019, Esha Lal Swimwear uses organic cotton, Econyl and Vita and a fabric made from Carvico Italy, a company pioneering circular materials technology, for their swimwear range. By releasing only a single collection per year, Esha Lal Swimwear is embracing the slow production cycle, though they do plan to expand their product range for beach- and holiday-wear.
