New in SA: Peruvian swimwear brand Aguaclara with sustainable collection

Swimwear brand Aguaclara has landed on SA’s shores. Their collection of bikinis, tunics, and dresses are perfect to go from summer terraces to evening cocktails.

The pieces of their collections are not just focused on timeless design, impeccable quality and modern sophistication but also support a sustainable approach to high-end swimwear.

We spoke to brother-sister team Liliana and Jorge Villalobos, the movers behind the brand.

What inspired you to start the Aguaclara brand? 

What really pushed us to start the Aguaclara brand was the social and economic situation back in 1989 in Peru. By that time, there was no offer to shop swimwear locally in Peru.

Despite having almost 2,500km of beautiful beaches, Peruvians were only able to get swimwear from Brazil.  So, we had the opportunity of starting our swimwear business.

So many brands are being pressured to be sustainable, how is Aguaclara taking on this challenge?

We understand that to be sustainable is not only to use sustainable materials (which is very important). For us to be sustainable is also to be sustainable through time. To be a solid brand through time, that means to be a responsible and ethical company, to be authentic, to be community focused, that way we can empower our local artisans and business partners to develop and grow their own businesses also. 

Regarding materials, we use 100% silk, organic cotton,  and some sustainable elastic fabrics. We keep looking for sustainable materials from our suppliers. Right now to work with eco materials is a very high cost, but we are on the way with a good percentage of sustainable materials in our collection, and we think we will be able to have 100% use of materials in some years, also because for the suppliers it takes time to develop good-quality fabrics and touch with eco or recycled materials with fair and competitive prices ...

South Africans are headed towards summer, what can they look forward to in terms of your latest collection?

New customers can expect a versatile and timeless collection.  Our pieces are very easy to fit, and can be worn for any occasion, for the resort, beach, or for a cocktail at night. We expect our customers to feel comfortable at all times with fine, quality fabrics, soft elastics, soft seams, and a great fall & look.

Also, Aguaclara garments are the perfect selection for any destination, because of the lightness of the fabrics, a customer can pack more than 15 looks in a carry-on.

What makes the perfect swimsuit?

The look and being comfortable. There are three important elements to have in mind. The fabric quality, the construction and the design/shape.

To ensure this, it’s very important that the customer give some time for the fitting. I have been in this business for more than 30 years, and usually, customers don’t want to spend much time for fitting and want to keep the same shape/design they have been wearing the previous years.

But new techniques, qualities and new shapes make a difference. And it’s very important to have this time, because every time the customer gives some time for the fitting they discover that new shapes, new techniques, and designs make them look great.

Aguaclara has dominated swimwear for more than 30 years, what has been your favourite milestone?

When we rebranded Aguaclara, because that led us to much more creativity and it became a resort wear brand that could offer not only swimwear but total looks for any destination. A lifestyle concept that includes dresses, kimonos, long skirts, fine 100% silk, silk/cotton, silk chiffon — giving an ethereal style to blouses, kaftans, pants and all the garments.  Also, the rebranding led us to make accessories to complement the collection, such as hats, totes, sandals, sunglasses and earrings.

Why was it important for the Aguaclara brand to branch into the South African market?

For us, it’s very important as part of our strategy to become a more international and global brand and get positioned in the African market. We chose SA because we think it’s the perfect spot to start this journey. Launching our collection in a totally unexpected new setting makes us prove that the Aguaclara Collection is a global and multicultural proposal valid anywhere. 

We see our South African 2022 launch as the next big step and event to make Aguaclara international and to start appealing to many other markets in Africa. We are very interested in Africa as a potential new market for an Aguaclara store and to start the process of building a strong brand reputation with South African and African customers.

• See aguaclara-swimwear