You might not have heard of Ljubljana, but then you're probably not in the world of sustainable swimwear. Once known only as the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana could now also be the capital of Econyl, a material which eco-conscious swim designers can't seem to get enough of. In stark contrast to fast fashion, which seems increasingly difficult to justify by the day, Econyl is "infinitely recyclable." The nylon fabric that so many designers are now turning into luxury fashion was once floating through and polluting the ocean, in the form of fish nets and other pieces of plastic.
Not that you'd be able to tell from looking at them, once they've made their way into the hands of some of swimwear's most impressive up-and-comers. Meet four labels using the material to create a higher level of eco swimwear, here.
Anemone
A bikini and two one-pieces by Anemone.
Lauren Arapage and Joshua Shaub first bonded over their love of '90s fashion years ago, but it was only last year that they turned it into Anemone, a label which somehow makes it possible to evoke a bit of Kate Moss wearing a strappy, pale yellow gown by Calvin Klein, circa 1995, when you're poolside. Traces of that image, among many others, can be found all across Anemone's first collection—particularly in its square neck tops and one-pieces, which are hand-embroidered with Narcissus flowers, but also in its array of balconette tops and high-waisted bottoms, which come in colors like mustard yellow and jade green. They may appear minimal, except they're anything but upon closer inspection—and not just because some are hand-embroidered. Each suit starts out as fabric made via Eurojersey's closely monitored fabrication process in Italy, before joining Arapage and Shaub in sunny Los Angeles, where they make sure finishing touches like the fabric's UV 50+ protection are in order. That's all the more impressive given that the label is still in its early stages, but then again, its founders are no novices to the industry; Arapage previously worked in the press office at Stella McCartney, where sustainability is practically a given, and Staub was the ready-to-wear buying director at Moda Operandi, which launched the label's debut collection just last year.
Peony
Two one pieces and one bikini top by Peony.
Peony considers itself first and foremost a family owned-and-run business, though it's also much more than that. The swimwear label has made remarkable strides since beginning its "journey" towards a more sustainable and ethical means of production in 2017. To Rebecca Morton, Peony's founder and director, that journey's far from over, even as 70 percent of the label's upcoming summer collection will be completely sustainably produced, and 90 percent of it will also be made from materials that are recyclable. As with many other labels, that's thanks in large part to Econyl . But to circumvent the limited options of sustainable materials, Peony has made strides to develop its own fabrics in-house, too, hence its the pintucking, scalloping, and other details and techniques found across their range of suits. They might be pricier than Morton and co. would like, but happen to amend another set of limited options: Peony is one of the only luxury sustainable swimwear labels whose designs go up to size 14.
Galamaar
Two bikinis and a one-piece by Galamaar.
Not many labels would bill themselves as "trend-defying"—and especially not in their Instagram bios—but Galamaar does so with pride. That's particularly true when it comes to the trend its founder, Blakely Wickstrom, finds the most "disgraceful": fast fashion. Wickstrom releases limited run quantities of her designs, which are primarily made of Econyl, and doesn't leave out the details like pad inserts and hang tags, which are also made from recycled materials. Perhaps Galamaar's biggest accomplishment is that one look through its vintage-inspired tops in garnet and army green and one-pieces with deep V's and cut-outs almost immediately begs the question: If sustainability looks this good, why aren't all labels sustainable?
Fisch
A one-piece and two bikinis by Fisch.
After graduating from Parsons and interning at Hedi Slimane-era Saint Laurent, Fischer happened to come across Econyl's website. Within two years, she'd turned their fabrics into her first collection, launching the line that Net-a-Porter and Matches would begin carrying just a year later. It's hard to believe that she and a small team are still running Fisch out of her apartment in New York City, but then again, maybe that's part of the label's allure; in a way, home is central to Fisch, seeing as it's largely inspired by St. Barths, where Fischer grew up. It's also where she wore her first samples made with Econyl, which she now supports in more ways than one: She donates 10 percent of Fisch's global profits go to Healthy Seas, which collects the nets from oceans that eventually turn into—you guessed it—Econyl.
And yet, Fischer, who's one of the few to acknowledge the paradoxes and elitism in taking sustainability mainstream, doesn't refer to Fisch as simply "sustainable"; she prefers the phrase "as sustainable as possible," given the technology that's available now. For the time being, though, her customers seem just fine with the way things are now; budding Instagram influencers and stylish septuagenarians alike can't seem to get enough of her suits, including one with a leopard print that she painted by hand.
Related: Alessandra Ambrosio's Polaroid Diary of Her Carefree, Bikini-Filled Cabo Getaway
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