Gran Canaria Swim Week closes its most international edition to date with 44 brands and designers

The bathroom takes center stage again in the Canary Islands. Gran Canaria Swim Week 2025, held from October 22 to 25, brought together nearly fifty national and international brands and designers at the Expomeloneras fairgrounds, opening with a first outdoor day.

According to the latest data from the sector, the event generates an economic impact of 6.25 million euros, boosting sectors such as restaurants, hotels and transport, while the island's fashion companies increased their turnover in 2024 by 24.58% compared to the previous year, when they recorded a total turnover of 1.1 million euros, consolidating Gran Canaria as the European epicenter of the sector.

A total of 44 brands from the local, national and international scene participated in this edition. Specifically, the event brought together 27 Canarian firms from Gran Canaria, La Palma, Tenerife and Lanzarote, in addition to nine peninsular and eight international firms. A poster that demonstrates the consolidation and evolution of the event in recent years.

“You can see the evolution and the project is taking a clearer shape,” said Carlos San Juan, a figure with a long career on the catwalk, who highlighted the professional growth and international projection that Gran Canaria Swim Week has achieved.

Karolína Kurková, the star of the opening day

The opening day, held in Pasito Blanco, a marina in the south of the island, offered a different format with open-air parades by the sea. Czech supermodel Karolína Kurková, the image of the event, participated in several fashion shows and was one of the stars of the day, arriving by boat to inaugurate the Victoria Cimadevilla fashion show. The Madrid-based designer from Oviedo presented a collection inspired by Truman Capote's The Swans, “something glamorous, pure and that embodied the society of the time,” as she explained to FashionNetwork.com, made mainly of neoprene, in a black and white palette.

Local talent was once again the central axis of the event, with names such as Palmas, Diazar, Mare Far Niente, Pomeline and Elena Morales, which highlighted the creative wealth of the islands. Morales, one of the best-known designers in Gran Canaria, this time offered a more intimate and emotional collection.

“Since my first show in 2018, the brand has evolved in all aspects. It is more developed and consolidated. I also enjoy the chaos of the catwalk more now,” he explained.

Her new collection, romantic and fluid in light fabrics such as chiffon and caftans, was presented in a show that moved away from the energetic tone of her previous presentations, where techno music often occupied a privileged place, in favor of something more subtle, accompanied by Afro-Cuban notes, in homage to the designer's late grandfather.

Among the national brands, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada stood out, faithful to its playful and colorful universe; Bohodot, with its “Raíces del Sol” collection inspired by the Mediterranean; Fiona Ferrer, who combined local craftsmanship and international references, featuring Snoopy details that gave a nod to her FFL x Peanuts line; and the veteran Dolores Cortés, with decades on the catwalk.

“We are delighted to come, as always,” said Óscar Colomer, general director of the Castellón family business and grandson of its founder, highlighting that, having participated in practically all editions, “we have noticed a spectacular evolution of the event.”

The brand presented an exclusive selection of its “Earth” line, focused on neutral tones, natural fabrics and artisanal techniques, reaffirming its commitment to meticulous production and sustainable design.

The international dimension of this edition came from names such as the British designer Melissa Odabash, who celebrated 25 years in swimwear with the “Cruise 2026” collection, inspired by the resort glamor of the 70s; the Colombian brand Macaed, with a men's offering infused with Caribbean spirit and artisanal construction; Banana Moon, founded in Monaco, which fused Western style with beach sensibility through fringe and faux suede; and the Italian brand Miss Bikini, which presented “Boho Dream”, a collection that fuses craftsmanship and luxury with paisley prints, crochet and ecological raffia accessories. “Beyond bikinis, our dress offering also represents an important part of our sales,” says Andrea Teofilatto, founder and CEO of the brand, about a range made entirely in Italy with fabrics from Como.

The 2025 GCSW Awards recognized the work of three brands

The Gran Canaria Swim Week 2025 awards ceremony closed the last day with three brands receiving €3,000 each. The Italian designer Dan Ward was recognized with the Award for Best Collection, thanks to a collection that fused elegance and functionality with resort sensitivity, while the award for Best Sustainable Collection went to the Canarian designer Elena Morales, for her craftsmanship and commitment to the environment. For its part, the Gran Canaria brand Mare Far Niente won the award for Best Emerging Collection with “Journey to Calm”, inspired by the Mediterranean and everyday life, supported by a commitment to the local.

The winning brands were selected by a jury made up of names such as Pepa Bueno, executive director of the Association of Spanish Fashion Creators (ACME); Simona Severini, director of White Milano; Scott Lipinski, executive director of the International Fashion Committee; Melanie Bauer, buyer representative; Araceli Díaz, representative of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria; Grisel Fernández, international advisor to the Chamber of Commerce; and Esther García Capdevila, director of Esma Eventos and creative director of Gran Canaria Swim Week.

With the support of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the Gran Canaria Moda Cálida program, created in 1996 by the Department of Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Cabildo, and supported since 2017 by ACME, the event reaffirms with this new edition its role as an economic engine and talent platform.

“Gran Canaria has established itself as the island specialized in swimwear and as the first European platform in this field,” highlighted Minerva Alonso, Councilor for Economic Development of the Cabildo, pointing out that, looking to the future, “the objective is to continue growing and consolidating our position not only as the leading swimwear catwalk in Europe, but also as a global benchmark.”