Colombian Swimwear: What Defines It and the House to Know

Colombian swimwear is swimwear designed and made in Colombia, and the useful way to judge any piece is by where it was sewn, who did the handwork and what fabric it is cut from. At Coveti, the Colombian swim house we carry is Agua by Agua Bendita, whose pieces sit in our designer swimsuits edit and on the Agua by Agua Bendita brand page. Our longer profile of the Colombian resort house tells the full story.

Key facts

• Agua by Agua Bendita was founded in 2018 by Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza.
• The founders launched their first brand, Agua Bendita, in 2003, sewing the first pieces from leftover factory fabric.
• Agua by Agua Bendita works with women artisans from Medellin and its surrounding towns through its AB Hearts programme.
• Every piece in the Agua by Agua Bendita Coleccionista collection is made in Colombia.

This guide sets out what defines Colombian swimwear in practice, what to check on a product page, and the history of the one Colombian swim label in our edit. It sticks to facts the house publishes, so it does not rank labels we do not stock.

What defines Colombian swimwear?

There is no legal definition and no single house style. The phrase simply means swimwear from Colombia, and labels from the same country can differ a great deal in cut, print and price. So the honest answer is to look at three things a brand can prove: where the piece is made, how the decoration is done and what the fabric is.

Agua by Agua Bendita answers all three on its product pages. Every piece in the current Coleccionista collection is made in Colombia. Most pieces carry a hand-illustrated print, which starts as a drawing before it is put to cloth, and selected pieces carry hand-embroidered florals. The swim fabric is 81% recycled polyester and 19% elastane, and every swim piece is fully lined. The house describes itself through hand-illustrated prints, intricate hand embroidery, innovative finishes, natural and recycled fabrics and romantic silhouettes.

Agua by Agua Bendita: the house Coveti carries

Agua by Agua Bendita was founded in 2018 by Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza to celebrate Latin American heritage and craftsmanship. It is the luxury line of a longer story. The two founders launched their first brand, Agua Bendita, in 2003, and at the start they made each piece themselves from leftover fabric from a local clothing factory, on their grandmothers’ sewing machines. Agua Bendita continues as the sister brand.

From the beginning the founders worked with women from Medellin and its surrounding towns, many of whom worked from home while caring for their children. The house calls this programme AB Hearts and says the artisans have been partners ever since. The name refers to water as nature’s most important element. The house produces only three collections a year, which it describes as creating less and creating better, and it has stores in Cartagena on Calle de la Iglesia in the historic centre, in Medellin at El Tesoro shopping centre and in Bogota on Calle de los Anticuarios.

The current collection is Coleccionista, Spanish for collector, which the house tags Resort 2027. It runs in three prints: Nostalgia in bottle green, rose pink and mint; Isolda in cream, navy, berry and garnet florals; and Castillo in black, rose pink and blush beige. Our Coleccionista Resort 2027 guide covers the whole drop, including the dresses.

Agua by Agua Bendita at a glance

Source: the Agua by Agua Bendita product pages, care labels and size chart, read by Coveti Editorial on 8 November 2026.

What to look for when buying Colombian swimwear

The same checks apply to any swim label, Colombian included.

• A made-in line. A brand that makes in Colombia will usually say so on the product page and the label.
• The finish, named. Hand-embroidered, machine embroidered and printed are different techniques. Agua labels each piece, so you know which you are buying.
• Lining. A fully lined suit stays opaque when wet and keeps any embroidery stitches off the skin.
• Leg cut. Agua names three shapes: American-cut, full-coverage and Latin-cut. Full-coverage gives the most coverage at the back, so check the images for the other two.
• Care. Recycled polyester with elastane holds shape and dries fast, but chlorine, salt and sunscreen all wear down elastane, so plan to rinse in fresh water after every swim.

The Colombian swimwear to buy this season

1. Ebano Isolda One Piece

The Ebano Isolda One Piece is deep navy with hand-embroidered florals, a demi-cup neckline and an American-cut leg. It shows the house’s hand embroidery on swim more clearly than any other piece.

2. Gema Nostalgia One Piece

The Gema Nostalgia One Piece carries the hand-illustrated Nostalgia print in rose pink, with a round neckline and an American-cut leg. It is the simpler one-piece of the two.

3. Durazno Castillo One Piece

The Durazno Castillo One Piece adds hand-embroidered florals to a rose pink colourway of the Castillo print, with a straight neckline.

4. Primavera Isolda Bikini Top

The Primavera Isolda Bikini Top in deep navy has hand-embroidered florals and a straight neckline. Our guide to embroidered bikinis explains the technique.

5. Promesa Castillo Bikini Bottom

The Promesa Castillo Bikini Bottom in blush beige is the piece to try for the house’s Latin-cut leg, and it matches the hand-embroidered Primavera Castillo top.

6. Nopal Nostalgia Bikini Bottom

The Nopal Nostalgia Bikini Bottom carries the Nostalgia print in bottle green with an American-cut leg, fully lined.

7. Zucchini Isolda Bikini Top

The Zucchini Isolda Bikini Top is cream with a demi-cup neckline, and pairs with the full-coverage Melocoton Isolda bottom.

8. Lavanda Nostalgia Pareo Midi

The Lavanda Nostalgia Pareo Midi is a one-size cotton and silk voile in rose pink, light enough to knot over any of the swim above. Our pareos and cover-ups guide covers the full range.

9. Montana Cauca One Piece

The Montana Cauca One Piece is an Agua by Agua Bendita swimsuit from another collection, already live at Coveti, for anyone who wants a different print from the house.

Colombian designers beyond swim

Colombian fashion is broader than the beach. Johanna Ortiz is a Colombian designer whose brand page is also on Coveti, and our Johanna Ortiz Winter Sun 2027 edit and brands like Johanna Ortiz guide cover that label. For resort dressing from the same house as the swim, see our Agua Bendita dresses guide. If you want to compare swim from labels outside Colombia, Zimmermann, Christopher Esber and Alemais are worth browsing too, and our guide to brands like Agua by Agua Bendita sets them side by side.

Wearing Colombian swimwear around the world

In Latin America, the Caribbean coast is where this swim is designed to be worn; Cartagena, where the house has a store in the historic centre, is hot and humid all year, and our guide to what to wear in Cartagena covers it. In the US, the same pieces suit Miami, the Gulf Coast and summer weekends in the Hamptons. From the UK, most swim travels abroad, and a lined suit copes well with cooler water at home.

In Europe, the Mediterranean summer from June to September suits the printed one-pieces for boat days. In the Gulf, swimwear is for hotel pools and private beach clubs for most of the year, and a long pareo over a one-piece covers the walk to lunch. Our beach holiday packing list works for any of these trips.

Colombian swimwear sizing

Agua by Agua Bendita cuts in letter sizes from XS to XL. On the house body chart an XS fits a 84 cm bust, 65 cm waist and 90 cm hips, and an M fits a 94 cm bust, 75 cm waist and 100 cm hips. The brand gives no advice on sizing up and down, so take your usual size; the models on the product pages are 177 and 178 cm tall and wear an XS. Full charts are in our Agua by Agua Bendita size guide. Bikini tops and bottoms are sold separately, so you can mix sizes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Colombian swimwear?

It is swimwear designed and made in Colombia. Labels differ widely, so check the made-in line, the finish and the fabric on each piece.

Is Agua by Agua Bendita a Colombian brand?

Yes. It was founded in 2018 by Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, has stores in Cartagena, Medellin and Bogota, and makes its Coleccionista pieces in Colombia.

Who founded Agua Bendita?

Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza launched Agua Bendita in 2003, making the first pieces from leftover factory fabric on their grandmothers’ sewing machines. Agua by Agua Bendita, their luxury line, followed in 2018.

Who makes the embroidery on Agua by Agua Bendita swimwear?

The house works with women artisans from Medellin and its surrounding towns through a programme it calls AB Hearts. Selected pieces carry hand-embroidered florals.

What fabric is Agua by Agua Bendita swimwear made from?

The Coleccionista swim fabric is 81% recycled polyester and 19% elastane, and every swim piece is fully lined.

Which Colombian designers does Coveti carry?

Coveti carries Agua by Agua Bendita for swim and resort wear, and Johanna Ortiz also has a brand page on Coveti.

Read next: Agua Bendita swimwear, Agua by Agua Bendita, the Colombian resort house, What to wear in Cartagena.

By Coveti Editorial. Updated 8 November 2026.