Reviews

Aguaclara hasn’t been with us as long as many brands, but they’ve certainly made a dazzling impression in the time they’ve been working with us. One particularly magnificent bikini that’s worthy of a full review and examination from this season’s collection is Horizonte. It’s been a particular favourite of everyone at UK Swimwear for its astoundingly rich colour scheme and its unabashed opulence. Minimal Design With A Luxury Touch The Horizonte Bikini is a true Jewel of the East. It is not minimal, yet it manages classic quite well. This is normally unachievable unless the design has all its complexity taken out and the finished product is restrained and simple. Horizonte however, uses the most regal and precious shades of blue and gold. These are always favourites, thanks tot he aquatic themes that blue evokes, and give this bikini a certain timeless appeal. It’s a sumptuous bikini and it takes its inspiration from a number of very clever sources. Persian or Moorish art are some of the more recognizable ones. The gold “pieces of 8” style sequins that embellish the Horizonte bikini add to its regal spirit and gives it a kind of Eastern mysticism. It’s truly a design out of a Maharaja’s palace. That is why we refer to it as “Jewel of the East”. It is a stunning design with a gorgeous look and it is one of the best Eastern inspired designs ever. The colours, the patterns, the spirit of this bikini is simply wonderful to behold. We adore this bikini and we think you will too, so take a look at this design and if you want, see some of the rest of their range too. See more Aguaclara swimwear here. And if you’d like, find out more about the inspiration behind many luxury swimwear brands what makes each one special.

It’s a mantra we often repeat here at UK Swimwear. Let go of the secondary and tertiary parts of a design. Instead, concentrate only on the essentials of beautiful swimwear. After that, the design will flourish. But we’ve never seen anything fulfil this request quite so well as Nikki Cooke and her outstanding designs. We say “design” because it is singular. This designer takes the motto to its extreme. She produces just one design that suits just one purpose, to provide unrivalled support and shaping for bigger busted ladies. And when we say “she”, we mean the woman herself, Ms Cooke. Every big busted swimwear item made under her name is hand crafted by her own hands, a dedicated business woman who insists her perfectly balanced design have only the most familiar artisans go near its construction. So how does it do? It seems that our mantra holds water. The Nikki Cooke Eliza swimsuit has proved to be an incredible item of swimwear and a swimsuit that is unbeatable at its chosen strength. It lifts and positions your bust better than any other design in the world, full stop. Nikki Cooke’s exceptional swimwear masterpiece is a product of a very careful design process and a clear philosophy on how beautiful clothing should be made. This is simply the world’s very best big busted swimwear, and it’ll likely keep its coveted position, season after season.

Lidea’s Rebecca Bikini isn’t quite the reproduction of old time sailor outfits, with that timeless sailor chic, that you might think it is at first glance. Lidea is, however, a beautiful tribute to that old style. The classic horizontal stripes seem an obvious choice for designer swimwear. Timeless, simple and flattering, even if the vertical stripe is more often publicized as so. But look broadly at most designer swimwear today and you get floral, abstract and animal. I write about fashion all day, so I can see how each new season that includes these conventions has evolved from the last seasons that included it. I get to see how new and appealing those versatile patterns can be when a designer starts over with them. All these patterns and trends are good, of course. But what about those designs that don’t usually get this treatment? Rebecca is one of these pieces. Sailor-chic is a style that remains mostly unaltered, from its first days until now. Lidea’s designer swimwear takes the classic styles and gives it a fresh start. The stripes on the cups are much narrower than most horizontal patterns, which give your upper body a more toned look. The stitching in the cup’s fabric is a clever effect here too. As the stripes converge, the stitching cuts them in two and makes them point upwards, just a little. This gives the top a visual lift effect that’s very flattering and perfect for shaping your shoulders and chest. The briefs have a lot more coverage than most modern designer swimsuits, too. This trend is gaining in popularity. It’s one of the best ways to connect with the classic styles of swimwear. The deep briefs and high waist of this bikini are a tribute to the pin-up era of fashion, a staple of sailor-chic. Lidea hasn’t been with us for too long, but with designer swimwear releases like this, they’ll soon be one of our favourite brands. I’m hoping, with more of their great work, they’ll be one of yours too.

Blue Mojito kaftans have just arrived with us, here at UK Swimwear. A new brand is always an exciting thing, but it’s hard to describe the excitement when the brand is this wild. Blue Mojito is one of the most inspirational and creative souls in swimwear. Blu Mojito kaftans are all astounding in their opulence. Kaftans are their staple garment, and every design is jam-packed with colour, precious jewels and out of the box thinking. With a touch of inspiration from all over the globe, from the Indian subcontinent to the Aztec jungles to the Polynesian islands, each kaftan is perfect in its own way. Like any great designer, their range is small enough to allow them to concentrate on what they truly care about. This season, they have released no more than four kaftans in total. Plenty of other swimwear designers keep their ranges small, but this is an incredible feat. But you know why this is the case when you look at one of these designs for the first time. Even the photography is out of this world. It all conveys a kind of mysticism and other-worldly beauty. All with its use of colour and references to certain traditional patterns. And to more abstract ones too. With a brand so visually stunning, there’s the risk the design has put too much into the visual and not enough into the garment itself. Blue Mojito kaftans are one of those exceptional examples of a brand that lives up to its stunning image. The quality of the kaftans is unrivalled, as should be the case for a designer that makes nothing else. We’re so enthusiastic to see what Blue Mojito kaftans produces in the future. Their work is so passionately designed, it’s hard to imagine what could possibly come next. See the rest of our blog right here for more reviews.

The Ancient Beauty Of Roidal Samoa This is the brand new Roidal Samoa. A fantastic name in Spanish swimwear, Roidal are masters of nature inspired swimwear. They are great at weaving the wildest elements of the natural world into their swimwear. And they do so with skill and finesse. The most impressive examples of this all seem to be emerging from their their new collection. One design in particular. We were stunned by this piece, and we think you will be too. Roidal Samoa is one of the most creative and inspired swimwear designs we’ve seen in years. That is not just from Roidal either. It is from any design and from any name, too. Samoa blends tribal patterns with the most iconic animal prints, and thanks to that, they’ve created something quite beautiful. The animal chosen is the snake, of course. Snake skin and snake prints are one of the most popular in swimwear fashion. They are enchanting animals found natively to the Polynesian islands. And it is a symbol of mystery and power. Nature patterns have been in the making and moulding for millions of years. So they’re always classics and they’re adaptable to nearly any setting. Whilst the patterning on Roidal Samoa’s bust isn’t a traditional tribal pattern. It borrows from the muted teals and the swirling motifs from many different cultures you might recognise. Samoa has taken the essence of these great civilisations and peoples and has made them all her own. The blend is certainly eclectic and naturally daring. And this swimsuit is the least orthodox blend of patterns we’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. But that’s what makes it so astoundingly beautiful. Roidal Samoa is a breakthrough swimwear design that’s going to set a very high benchmark for other designers. This is the beginning of a new fashion era for beautiful swimwear.