“We are working on an internationalisation plan with the Cabildo and the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria,” said Alonso, explaining that the swim week’s presence at Berlin Fashion Week

The project seems to have produced its first results.

“What better place than Gran Canaria to meet,” quipped the councillor, underlining the general satisfaction with the event’s outcome.

As for Gran Canaria Swim Week by Moda Cálida, held between October 20 and 22, collaborations with other fashion organisations will be developed in the coming months.

“We have already confirmed our presence at Copenhagen Fashion Week next February with a high-profile event,” said Alonso, adding that the organisation has already begun to hold discussions with Miami Swim Week in order to “promote exchanges and boost synergies between companies.”

With a budget that, in recent years, has grown from 500,000 to 2 million euros, the programme for promoting Canarian fashion is not only limited to the highly publicised celebration of its fashion week

“The support of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Regional Ministry of Industry translates into grants to enable us to attend fairs, facilitate the acquisition of machinery or information material and organise fashion shows,” explained the well established local designer Pedro Palmas, head of the firm Palmas, acknowledging that the demands required to be part of the programme are high.

“We are given support throughout the year with the aim of establishing an industry in the Canary Islands, which is difficult,” continued the designer, who was the star of the third day of fashion shows dedicated to the region’s designers.

“We come from sun, tourism, bananas and tomatoes. We don’t have the same textile tradition as Barcelona or Galicia, but we have been working for years on building an industry from scratch,” he acknowledged, indicating that, in his brand’s case, the sustainable and recycled fabrics are supplied by a company in Bilbao, while the designs and manufacturing are made in Gran Canaria.

Buyers from Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece

At the end of the three-day event and the holding of 32 fashion shows, the head of the event organised in partnership with the Madrid trade fair institution Ifema

“We are consolidating our position as a European swimwear platform and we have had a notable international presence. While awaiting the figures, the overall assessment we are making is very positive and the designers are very pleased,” explained Alonso, pointing out that the buyers’ programme for this edition was attended by professionals from Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece.

“For the brands, the show’s visibility abroad is much more beneficial than the purchases made here by international tourists,” the councillor added.

The catwalk event saw the participation of foreign brands such as Israeli firm Gottex

The local creations included a tribute to mother earth by Nuria Gonzalez, who was awarded the prize for the best sustainable collection, thanks to her use of plant textures such as reeds or burnt pine bark, her aboriginal prints, the reuse and dyeing of potato sacks to create fringed bags and the customisation of shoes with sand from the beach.

“Upcycling is a completely innate part of my brand’s identity. I have always recycled, never throwing anything away, looking for new possible uses for materials,” said the designer, who still uses leftover stock from the time when she used to make costumes for Valencia’s famous carnival. Of the young designers, Libérrimo proved to be the most promising emerging brand thanks to its body-inclusive designs.

Also present at the event was the well-established brand Aurelia

On the domestic front, Spanish designers Victoria Cimadevilla won the award for best collection, thanks to her designs that took the form of voluptuous flowers and bloomers; the brand founded by model and actress Laura Sanchez, once again opted for colourful and sporty swimwear. For its part, Bohodot was inspired by the Mediterranean, while the acclaimed Dolores Cortés looked to Phuket for inspiration and All That She Loves dyed its pieces in vivid colours.

Agatha

“It’s the collection I’m most excited about this year, a super Agatha collection. For me this is the second most important catwalk in Spain, only behind Madrid, and maybe Barcelona”, beamed the prolific designer from Madrid.