It’s that time of year again and boy are we excited. Yes, it’s the designer swimwear tradeshow season and we’re writing to you live from one of the biggest women’s swimwear trade shows of the year MAGIC in Las Vegas.

With the release of the new women’s swimwear collections each July in Miami at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Miami Swim, the following few months are followed by a slew of trade shows like MAGIC, giving us, your wonderful swimwear stockists, the opportunity of reviewing (and going crazy over) the following year’s range.

MAGIC is an annual fashion trade show covering everything from handbags to designer jeans to accessories. And, of course, let us not forget its specialty division SWIM, a showcase of some of the most coveted designer swimwear labels in the industry.

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Bikini of the Week

Crochet by Sauvage Swimwear

We’re going back-to-back Sauvage with another beautiful swimsuit from the Californian designer making it to number one on this week’s Bikini of the Week. Last week saw Venezia in the hot spot, one of Sauvage’s most stunning one piece swimsuits, and also, our first one piece to be featured on Bikini of the Week. If you missed the post, make sure to read it here.This week, however, the two piece bikini is back and looking more beautiful than ever. It is Crochet by Sauvage Swimwear and it’s a little bohemian, a little chic, and very sexy.

Crochet by Sauvage Swimwear

I must admit I have a soft spot for this bikini - it is actually one of the first swimsuits I picked up this season and I wear it regularly. It’s fantastic when you’re able to get good mileage out of a swimsuit. While designer swimsuits are indeed beautiful, it must be said that some are a little less practical than others. A male friend of mine likes to call this type of swimsuit a ‘toe-dipper’, which I find to be a cutely humorous description! True, some women’s swimsuits are made to be admired out of the water, while others are made for swimming in the waves. However, there does exist those few, rare swimsuits that are able to be both - beautiful and practical - and Crochet by Sauvage Swimwear is one of those swimsuits. Surprising as it may be, it’s actually a difficult combination to pull off.

Crochet by Sauvage Swimwear, as I mentioned above, has a definite boho feel to it - crocheted fabrics have always been associated with this style and this swimsuit is no different. Well, that’s not entirely true. The Crochet bikini is actually quite unique - like it’s ability to be sexy yet functional, it is also has the ability to be both bohemian and sophisticated, giving it a huge point of difference. The main body of the bikini top and bottom is made from an imported Italian nylon, and is also fully lined, while the circular detailing at the hips and bust is made from a high quality crocheted thread. So instead of constructing the entire bikini out of a crocheted fabric, which can be hard to dry, can give an unflattering shape and can also be a little too hippie-looking, the swimsuit strikes a perfect balance with just a hint of bohemian crocheted flair. It’s a great idea and works an absoulte charm.

I wear this swimsuit both by the pool and at the beach, and while I’m a black swimsuit lover making me a little-black biased, it is a great color for this bikini. One, it doesn’t get dirty, which could be a problem for the crocheted detailing if it was a lighter shade. But secondly, it really sets off the circular pattern and aesthetic look of the crocheted detailing - from a distance, the contrast of the black shapes against the flesh immediately catches your eye. The look is soft and feminine, but show-stopping at the same time.

Sauvage Swimwear is synonymous for its quality swimsuits and I have found this to be 100% the case with the Crochet bikini. There’s nothing worse than buying a swimsuit for its details, be it jewels, shells, bead or strings, and have them fall off or break soon after you’ve purchased it. But the crochet detailing on this bikini is surprisngly sturdy - and I’ve certainly taken it for a tumble in the waves! It also gives great, and adjustable, support at the bust and the coverage at the back is moderate.

So if you’re looking for a great all-rounder kind of a swimsuit, that also has a point of difference, then I highly recommend the Crochet bikini by Sauvage. Soft, yet sophisticated, practical, yet feminine, what more could you want?!

If you’d like to purchase the Crochet bikini by Sauvage, click here to start shopping now!

Bikini of the Week 

I’ve been waiting patiently for the chance to feature Cobalt Crystal as our Bikini of the Week. It’s one of my personal favorites, and also one of our best sellers here at Azura Swimwear. We’ve already sold out of this bikini twice now, and it’s only the beginning of the year.

It’s not hard to understand why this bikini is so popular. Just take a look for yourself…

But let’s start with the color. While blue may be the color of choice for swimwear this summer (for more information on swimwear styles and trends, read our 2008 Designer Swimwear Forecast here), this is no ordinary blue. This swimsuit comes in a color of blue known as cobalt blue (hence the name), which is a very particular type and shade of blue.  As you can see, it’s quite mesmerizing and has an intensity and uniqueness to it. Sauvage Swimwear designer Elizabeth Southwood has done an incredible job of finding just the right hue and of sourcing a swimsuit fabric capable of showing off its brilliance.

But now to the crystals. In my opinion, crystals on a swimsuit is the ultimate in indulgence and class. The look is elegant and show-stopping. Ordinarily however, you’ll see the crystals embroidered onto the fabric, either on the bust or bottom of the swimsuit as part of the fabric design (take a look at this Sauvage swimsuit for an example), and the crystals are most often a mixture of sequins, beads and/or small faux gems.

But not the Cobalt Crystal by Sauvage Swimwear. In this swimsuit, the crystals are used to form the neck tie, beginning at the top of the bust and extending to the neck, creating a truly unique point of difference. It also shows off a bit of skin, which combined with the crystals, gives the bikini a very sensual, sexy feel.

The Cobalt Crystal bikini sold here at Azura Swimwear comes with a simple low rise bottom – with such a stunning bikini top, there’s no need for additional embellishment. The swimsuit bottoms have a really cute shape and provide moderate coverage. And, being made from an imported nylon lycra blend, they also feel incredible on the skin.

I’m so glad that we were finally able to feature this beautiful Sauvage swimsuit number, the Cobalt Crystal definitely merits the title of Bikini of the Week. To all our readers who have purchased this bikini, enjoy your new swimsuit! And for those who haven’t, make sure to grab one before summer hits! This bikini is seriously one of our best sellers and we would hate for you to miss out…

Happy shopping!

Cobalt Crystal: Click here for full details. Start shopping now!

Azura News 

2008 has only just turned March and it’s already been a fantastic year for all of our swimwear designers. If you’ve been reading Lifestyle Azura recently, you would have noticed our feature series on the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But Sports Illustrated, of course, isn’t the only magazine giving coverage to our fantastic swimwear designers and their incredible swimsuits.

Today, we’d like to celebrate the press success of one of our favorites here at Azura: Sauvage Swimwear by designer Elizabeth Southwood. Sauvage’s super sexy swimsuits have already made four magazine appearances to date, and these in some of the best magazines around including Vogue, Cosmo, In Style and Sports Illustrated.

We’d like to take a little extra time and a little extra energy for the Cosmo feature of Sauvage Swimwear, it being none other than our very own Jade Mountain 2 bandeau bikini! This serenely beautiful two piece swimsuit has been catching the attention of fashion editors from around the country since its debut late last year. What’s more, it’s sold right here at Azura Swimwear! In fact, Jade Mountain 2 by Sauvage Swimwear was the very first swimsuit to be featured in our ‘Bikini of the Week’ series. If you missed the post, click here to read the complete article.

Jade Mountain 2 by Sauvage Swimwear 

As we head further towards summer, we’ll undoubtedly be seeing even more of our swimwear designers splashed on the pages of the world’s foremost fashion magazines and style guides.

Until then, we’d like to congratulate all our incredibly talented swimwear designers here at Azura, including Maya, Red Carter, Birdie Jo, Beach Bunny and Sauvage.

Bikini of the Week

What better way to begin our ‘Bikini of the Week’ series than with the gorgeously elegant Jade Mountain 2 two piece by Sauvage Swimwear.

Elizabeth Southwood, designer of Sauvage swimwear, is best known for her ultra-feminine, ultra-flattering womens swimwear (be they sexy or sweet), and this beautiful white bikini (which I’d say falls into the sweetly sexy category!) certainly attests to that.

To my mind, there really is nothing quite like a white bikini… beautiful on fair skin, striking on bronzed, they give their wearer an air of casual cool and an understated elegance that other colors can never quite match. Timeless also, a white bikini will never go out of fashion…

Especially one like Jade Mountain 2! … wow. As you well know, we see a lot of womens swimwear here at Azura Swimwear and this one caught our attention from the very beginning. While you can’t deny that it is a beautiful picture (and don’t the picturesque green-tinged mountains in the background make for a fitting backdrop to the swimsuits name!), this swimsuit is even more beautiful in real life.

Made from imported Italian nylon lycra, it is incredibly soft to the touch and silky smooth on the skin. The blend, and the quality of the fabric however, also ensure that the swimsuit lasts the test of time and, most importantly, that it doesn’t go see through (it’s also double-lined, just to be sure J).

Whether white bikini lover, or swimsuit aficionado in general (or anyone really for that matter), it’s hard not to be taken by this swimsuit. Its padded bandeau top with boned side support also makes it very flattering to almost any shape or sized bust, and the bottom provides moderate, but more than bare coverage.

But what I find most captivating about the Jade Mountain 2 swimsuit is the striking juxtaposition of the bright white of the bikini and the captivating gentle green of the turquoise stone detailing. It is simply exquisite.

So until our next week, and another Bikini of the Week, let us leave with the stunning beauty of Jade Mountain 2 … sweet dreams!