Summer is coming, which means the beach season is round the corner too.
Portugal is one of the great countries for a day at the beach. It is also one of the great countries for textile production.
More and more international fashion brands manufacture in Portugal, for several reasons: the high quality standards we hold to, and ethical questions such as guaranteeing decent working conditions. Alongside the international names, there are more and more Portuguese brands appearing, many of them declaring themselves ethical and sustainable.
For a fashion brand to call itself sustainable there are requirements to meet, through certification, across the whole production line, not only reducing environmental impact but following a set of ethical principles towards workers and local communities.
These new brands and founders are starting to reach beyond Portugal’s borders, and in this article I want to bring you some of the Portuguese swimwear brands I identify with: bikinis and swimsuits made here, high quality, ethical and sustainable. With bolder, more innovative and more inclusive shapes, these brands care more and more about the design, the comfort and the quality of each piece. We already know our habits urgently need to change if we are to be more sustainable, even on a simple trip to the beach.
Portuguese sustainable beachwear brands
Conscious The Label
I am a huge fan of Conscious The Label, and as it happens the founder is also called Joana Silva. She brought together a love of sewing and a concern for the environment, and this brand came out of it. The swimwear line is made with Econyl, a fibre created from waste pulled out of the oceans and out of landfill: fishing nets, fabric offcuts, industrial plastics. It is sewn by local seamstresses so that every scrap of fabric gets used. The brand is also rated on the Good On You app and belongs to 1% for the Planet.
Tuhkana Swimwear
Rute Martins founded Tuhkana Swimwear in 2015 while living in Ireland, on the conviction that fashion and environmental responsibility can coexist. The pieces use a biodegradable yarn, so that if they do end up in the bin they break down within two to five years.
Since the raw material is found in Brazil, that is where they produce, which cuts their carbon footprint and supports the local economy at the same time. Tuhkana makes pieces built to last, and to be worn in combination with others.
Kalimera Collection
A brand created by Sara Arrais and launched in 2021. I trusted it blindly and was one of the first 50 customers. Kalimera Collection stands for transparency, sustainability and diversity. It is built to empower and to be comfortable, through a product that has style and stays timeless. The swimsuits resist chlorine and tanning oils, and protect against ultraviolet light.
The brand works closely with local partners to guarantee conscious, ethical trading practices, and sustainable raw materials.
Drope Clothing
Drope Clothing arrived in 2019, drawing on a range of places for collections with a distinctive design, made by hand in Portugal. It has worked with digital creators, Carolina Nashtai among them.
A brand that values the environment, and so uses recycled fabrics such as Econyl in its bikinis and swimsuits, sourced through the organisation Healthy Seas.
Voke
Voke sets out to design and manufacture consciously, so as to reduce environmental impact. It also commits to adopting more ecologically responsible practices and to supporting the local businesses that give it end-to-end control, from concept through to production.
The care runs from the design to the delivery of the piece. You can read all of this brand’s ethical and sustainable practices.
Cleome
Cleome is a brand with an environmental conscience, still learning how it can contribute to the planet’s sustainable development.
Its main raw material is Econyl, which alongside the sustainable way it is produced resists chlorine, oils and sun creams, and carries UV protection. They also make sure every company they work with holds environmental and sustainability certification.
Papua Beachwear
Papua focuses on preserving and valuing natural capital, and on cutting waste across the whole value chain. The swimsuits are produced cleanly in Leiria, meaning without toxic substances; the patterns are printed by sublimation because it pollutes less, and they work at getting the most out of every metre of fabric.
The products reach the customer packaged in materials that are 100% recycled or organic.
There are more and more brands like the ones here, and if you look closely, every one of them carries ethical and environmental concerns from the concept right through to the bikini or swimsuit arriving at your door.
Have you chosen your sustainable bikini or swimsuit for this summer yet?
