ART FASHION BLOG

Agua Bendita is a Colombian swimwear company, created in 2003 by Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, who have been the brand designers and owners since the beginning.
In just 7 years Agua Bendita has positioned itself as one of the fastest growing swimwear brands in the world. The exclusiveness of its designs and the quality of each garment has allowed it to have good exposure in important magazines, runways and international tradeshows. Agua Bendita is a brand that came to stay. Its position and projection are breaking barriers.
The company started when both designers were still in school pursuing their Major in Fashion Design at the Colegiatura Colombiana University Institution. It was an affinity in friendship and complemented tastes rather than a business concept at the beginning.
“The first collection or production was done with fabric patches and material leftovers given to us and from the beginning it was very elaborate. The patches were so small that swimsuits were completely made out of patchwork. This production was sold among friends and when we saw the uptake of the product, we began to think about creating a formal and stable company.”
The brand name arose at the University after creating the first 20 swimsuits, since then, they have been made out of patches and they also included scapulars with religious images for good luck. This is how the concept of adopting names that had to do with what was being proposed, came around. “Agua” or Water was important because it is swimwear and “Bendita” or Blessed or Holy because of the religious or positive energy concept that wearing a garment like this radiates. Also, the best ingredient to baptize something is “Agua Bendita” or “Holy Water”.
The product was widely accepted on the market since it satisfied the needs of the public it had reached with the initial production: a 20 piece collection that would later be too little for the demand. The product was soon well known across the country, captivating new clients and raising orders.
Thanks to the success of the first collection, a contact was made with the company Estudio de Moda, which saw its potential and the success the brand could have so they decided to try distributing the brand through the Pilatos chain of stores. The designers carried out their second production. They designed 40 swimsuits, of which 12 were selected to be sold at the Pilatos stores at El Tesoro and Oviedo Shopping Centers in Medellin, Colombia. The sales were so significant that in just one day, all the swimsuits were sold.
At this point, the designers and creators began to see the need to dedicate more time to the creation of their company and its results. Through commitment and dedication, they learned the business in every aspect and thus project themselves not only as designers but as business women as well.
During the last 7 years, Agua Bendita has been characterized by giving an innovative and modern touch to its genuine, Colombian garments. This makes them modern, dynamic and catchy. The success-factor of this company has been the combination of laser cutting with high quality, imported products and materials, which have been the spear point of product development. Also, the lucky seal, so to speak, of Agua Bendita’s garments, are the handcrafts made by Colombian artisans, who with their experience and accompanied by the brand’s designers, have been able to create hand-made pieces based on traditional handcrafts that give a vanguard touch.
Agua Bendita is a youthful, happy brand that has exclusive and flashy products that impose a tendency because it is based on playful, maximalist and progressive concepts that are established to be embodied in each one of the collections. Agua Bendita is a mix of technology, handcrafts and colors that are always joyful and alive… the brand has the look of a woman that wants to be admired, who wants to seek attention to herself and be noticed. This has allowed many women to identify themselves with the brand and they look for it, anywhere around the world.
The brand came into the international spotlight through well-known fairs and expos such as Colombiamoda, the Swimshow (Miami), Mode City (Paris), Intermoda (Guadalajara), Project (Las Vegas) as well as sharing the runway with Custo Barcelona and Silvia Tcherassi.
By participating in the Miami Swimshow, the largest swimsuit tradeshow, the brand became known across the world and that is where the garments were selected for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. This undoubtedly opened the door to the international market and soon exports began, including the North American market.
To the date, the brand has appeared in international publications such as Sports Ilustrated, Maxim, Vogue and Glamour, among others. This proves that it is a brand that is not just viable in Colombia but also on an international level. It has reached over 45 countries around the world in super high-end boutiques and next to the most prestigious and well

Tecnica: Mixta

JACINTA GRONDONA*
Estudio el Profesorado Nacional de Escultura,
IUNA, Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes “Prilidiano Pueyrredon”, Diseno de moda, Fashion School of Design, Boston, Massachussets, EEUU., Fine Arts, especializado en escultura, “School of the Museum of Fine Arts” Boston, Massachussets, EEUU, Escenografia, Universidad del Salvador, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.Talleres/workshops,Aurelio Macchi, escultor, Miguel Davila, pintor,Alberto Delmonte, Pintor, Cristina Santander, Grabadora

Exhibiciones /exhibitions
2010 "Maria Casado Home Gallery", muestra individual, Buenos Aires.
2009 -"Hagamos visible lo invisible" convocatoria de la fundacion Avon, centro cultural Recoleta.
2008 - Arteamericas, Feria de arte Latinoamericano, Maria Casado Home Gallery, Miami.
2005 y 2004, Casa FOA, Buenos Aires
2003: -Arte Ba, Feria de arte contemporaneo, Galeria Laura Haber, Bs. As.-“Expotrastiendas”, Feria de Galerias, Galeria Laura Haber. Bs. As.
Entre otras.

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