Meet the resident brands and founders of Slow Innovation Brands' Platform.
Meet Yvonne!
Yvonne is the founder of Now in Rio Swim, a multicultural and contemporary sustainable fashion brand. Now in Rio Swim offers Premium and Sustainable Active Swimwear inspired by the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Yvonne approached Slow Innovation Brands about 2 years ago when she and her husband were still living in Belgium. She wanted to start the process of creating her sustainable swimwear brand. Despite having a background in Marketing, including a Ph.D. from the University of Brussels, she needed help to source sustainable fabrics and European manufacturing partners.
The inspiration to create her brand came while Canadian Yvonne lived in Rio de Janeiro. In this wonderful city located in the heart of southwestern Brazil, Yvonne lived unique experiences that made her fall in love with it. It was in Rio de Janeiro that Yvonne met her husband. Together they embraced a life-change decision when they moved to Belgium and more recently to Portugal, where Now in Rio's production takes place.
About the inspiration to create the brand Yvonne explains: Swimwear has always been a challenge. As a curvy woman, I’ve always yearned for swimsuits that looked chic, felt good, and stayed put. Swimsuit shopping was always a nightmare - I never found one that fit quite right. When I moved to Rio, I found myself living in bikinis day in and out. And yet, even in the bikini capital of the world, I never found one that I really LOVED. Yes, I surfed in those triangle tops and tie-up bottoms, but I found myself adjusting myself more than enjoying myself. So I decided to do something about it".
The decision to produce in Portugal was conscious and guided by ethical and sustainable principles. Yvonne wanted to closely monitor the production of each piece, to ensure that it followed the brand's values. Yvonne makes periodic visits to her Portuguese manufacturing partners, which allows her to establish a solid and trustworthy relationship with them.
Now in Rio Swim is a brand focused on sustainability, design, and comfort. Yvonne explains that Now in Rio's mission is to "create beautiful, functional swimwear for women to suit up and explore the world with confidence, beauty, and ease". The brand does this through "quality, ethical, eco-friendly products that are designed and made in the Portugal, and ready to stick with you through your wildest adventures."
Now in Rio Swim is proof that the study and detailed research of the basic steps of creating a sustainable fashion brand, combined with hard work and persistence pays off. The brand has a beautiful website with a growing number of visitors, many of which have already been converted into consumers. Now in Rio Swim has already sent orders to different countries, including Belgium where it all started. The brand already has almost 10,000 followers on Instagram and continues to grow. We invite you to visit Now in Rio Swim website and subscribe to the brand's newsletter as well as follow their Instagram page.
And if you want to create your sustainable fashion brand too but don't know where to start, visit The Slow Fashion Innovation Program page to learn more about the content of our platform or contact us directly to request a customized solution according to your needs.
