Enjoy beach life with this summer’s colourful swimwear
This season’s swimwear from H&M has been created with holidays and long days on the beach in mind. The focus is flirty, feminine and functional, with the two-piece at the centre, ranging from snug-fitting hotpants and tangas to halter neck or triangle tops. Colours go from fruity sorbet shades to cooler ice-cream pastels, and from graphic black & white to Hawaiian flowers.
"It’s about having fun on the beach, enjoying summer and freedom. We wanted to express this with happy colours and fabulous patterns. Our swimwear works just as well for lounging in a deckchair as it does for having fun in the water, with a wide variety of well-fitting bikinis to suit all shapes and styles. There are some great accessories and clothes to complement the swimwear too. Sun hats, beach bags, and flip-flops, together with small shorts, tops and beach dresses have all been designed to complete this season’s beach look," says H&M head of design Margareta van den Bosch.
The swimwear collection focuses on three themes. There’s Sporty inspired by the Olympic Games and classic nautical looks in bright block colours, Hawaii which has a retro feel of floral prints in rich 50s colours, and Pop with 60s inspired graphic prints for the most fashion conscious of beach enthusiasts.
Hottest for her this summer are string and push-up tops worn with hipster hotpants or tiny tanga bottoms with side ties. The halter neck top is ideal for beach sports and swimming and worn with higher cut tanga or hotpants. There’s also a selection of tops and bottoms sold separately to enable customers to mix and match to create their perfect bikini according to their own tastes and needs.
For him, the H&M design team has created jersey-knit trunks as well as surf shorts with sun-bleached palms and hibiscus flowers – all very much inspired by 50s Hawaii and 80s Miami. There’s a new range of essential trunks in a selection of this season’s shades of blue, white, red, black and beige, with accents in yellow, turquoise and pastels.
For this summer’s advertising campaign the H&M team travelled to Rio de Janeiro and Ipanema Beach where the beach life is energetic, passionate and playful 24 hours a day. The models grew up on the beach and the extras were there from morning to night. Here the Brazilian models give their top tips for life on the beach:
"Always wear sun cream for swimming, playing sports, or walking in the sun, but rest, socialise and eat all your meals under the shade of a parasol, so that both your skin and head are protected," says Fernanda Tavares.
"Drink plenty of water because the sun dehydrates you. Drink carrot juice to achieve a nice tan or coconut juice which tastes great and is rich in vitamins, and eat fruit for extra energy," says Daniel Bueno.
"Fruit, fish and shellfish are the best things to eat for lunch and dinner on the beach. You feel full but they’re light," says Isabeli Fontana. "Music is important for a perfect day on the beach. Listening to Bossa Nova guarantees a good start to the day, but Reggae and Blues are also great during the day and when the sun sets," says Andersson Dornelles.
Photographer: Enrique Badulescu. Styling: Sabrina Schreder. Hair: Rick Haylor. Make-up: Paco Blancas. Models: Fernanda Tavares, Isabeli Fontana, Daniella Sarahyba, Ana Beatriz Barros, Thais Oliveira, Andre Resende, Edgar Graca Mello, Carlos Bokelman, Andersson Dornelles and Daniel Bueno.