Photos courtesy of Alexandre Schneider for UOL
Brazilian swimwear brand Rosa Chá debuted its Fall/Winter 2010 collection on January 17th during Sao Paulo's Fashion Week — and I'm loving it more than a fat kid loves cake. Rosa Chá designer Alexandre Herchcovitch seemed to draw inspiration from a wide breadth of sources — from 1960s pin-up girl-esque, retro lingerie to equestrian tailoring and watercolor paintings in Carmen Miranda-esque, carnival bright prints.
Supermodel Chanel Iman (who I absolutely adore) opened the show, donning a nude-colored one-piece swimsuit (pictured above) with a corset-like bodice, black lace-like details, solid black piping and contours, and a boy brief-esque cut along the thigh area. An entire section of the collection plays on the new lingerie-as-outerwear trend, but Herchcovitch's interpretation has a markedly coquettish and demure twist, particularly since the lingerie he references has a vintage aesthetic to it. I love the choice of color palette (the classic, peachy nude) and how the strategic placement of the lacy black motifs really emphasize the lingerie inspiration. Note how the lace-like patterns are often located along the woman's bosom, right at the hipbones, along the upper thigh area, or right in the, uhm, Netherlands region. Also, pay attention to the prim and proper details: the tiny bow belt motifs, the hipster cut of the briefs, and the high waistlines on some of the swimsuit briefs (which are clearly a reference to the 50s and 60s when women didn't dare to bare their belly buttons in public). Herchcovitch accompanied these lingerie-inspired swimsuits with some outerwear pieces that fit with the lingerie theme: from a sleeveless dress with a wet suit-esque cut to a halter bralette top paired with a frilly, ultra feminine skirt.
Another section of the collection seemed to have a bit of an equestrian feel. I was particularly struck by one swimsuit featuring long-sleeves, square shoulders with ruffled trims, and a double row of goldtone buttons along the front.
Towards the end of the show, Herchcovitch transitioned to the third most prominent aesthetic: a section of pieces (such as the zippered one-piece and the strapless, corseted one-piece pictured below) made of whimsical, watercolor-like prints featuring bright tropical hues like jade green, fuchsia, orange, and sunshine yellow. Many of these pieces also provided more coverage along the thigh, hip, and rear, in keeping with the rest of the collection.
Check out some of the pieces below!
Rosa Cha’ has always been one of my favorite swimsuit labels. Alexandre Herchcovitch is doing a great job at keeping the design asthetic that Amir Slama started. Now, What will Amir do next?