The Miami Herald
Miami Indulge Travel Magazine

Hippy-sexy-chic Colombian Swimwear maker OndadeMar will be spending a lot more time in Miami. They just opened a second store in Coral Gables and a third is on the way on Lincoln Road.

By Betty Cortina-Weiss

Ten years ago, a tiny Colombian bathing suit shop named OndadeMar in Medellin set out to do something different: to make swimwear sophisticated. To make going to the beach something a little more special, a little more personal and a little more elegant. Mission accomplished. Since then, not only has that one little shop opened more than 30 additional stores – two of them in the United States, both in Miami – they’ve also become the beach and resort source for the sexy set: Jessica Alba and Sofia Vergara have both been spotted wearing their designs, and last year model Elsa Benitez graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in an OndadeMar bikini. Regulars on the glossy pages of Vogue, Elle, Bazaar, and InStyle, even the venerable Forbes has weighted in on OndadeMar, identifying it as one of the worlds top swimwear brands. “It’ always exciting for us to see our styles on stars and in magazines”, said Diana Casa, the Colombia-based sales manager for the company. “But what we always keep our focus on is far simpler: making beautiful designs our customers like and want to wear”


From top left, clockwise: A serene, beautifully lit dressing room takes the stress out of swimsuit shopping; the OndadeMar line, from bikinis to coverups and everything in between is a favorite among stars including Jessica Alba and Sofia Vergara; a few years ago, the company expanded beyond bathing suits to include anything and everything you’d want on the beach, including a cute pair of strappy sandals; the line’s stylish coverups are made of pure silk. Opposite page: OndadeMar opened its second US (and South Florida) store at the Village of Merrick Park in April. A third store is scheduled to open in November on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

From top left clockwise: A colorful collection of scarves makes for chic head covers or sashes; a beachy outfit isn’t complete without a big floppy hat; a well-edited collection, the line is famous for its hippy-chic look; forget the giant beach bag and instead go for a cute little embroidered bucket bag, like the woven one featured here.


Indeed, they’re much more than stringy bikinis. Their chic silk coverups are on of store’s best selling items, and this year they’re introducing a casual line of transitional apparel that can easily go from beach to restaurant to just about anywhere else. “We travel the world, going to where our customers are, so we can listen to what they want,” Casas said. “And we come back to Colombia and make exactly that. That’s how we came up with our new line.”
OndadeMar’s second American store opened in April at Merrick Park in Coral Gables and a third one is expected to open by the end of November on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Here, INDULGE tours the serenely decorated Gables shop.


OndadeMar; Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Avenue, Coral Gables; 305-443-7105; ondademar.com



Source: The Miami Herald
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