JANARA Swimwear Award selects the best swimwear collections 2021/22

The JANARA Swimwear Award annually recognises the world's best swimwear labels for their outstanding individual pieces or collections.
Women's favourite garment and a booming global market worth billions, the ladies in bikinis or swimming costumes are increasingly present on the printed and electronic front pages. Increasingly refined cuts, the finest fabrics, extravagant appliqués and colour patterns developed by elite designers to make every feeling tingling, the global range grows from year to year. And really cheeky start-ups are also sprouting up with new ideas, especially with sustainability themes, environmental responsibility or social messages. The international jury of the ''Foundation'' of the1. For the second time, the international jury of the ''Foundation'' of the 1st International Museum of Bathing Culture has presented the JANARA Swimwear Award to draw attention to the many wonderful swimwear labels from all continents, to honour outstanding achievements in individual pieces or collections, or to make really crazy, unusual eye-catchers, often still real insider tips, accessible to a broad public. The Brazilian Fernando Cozendey with his wacky collection with many bikinis and swimming costumes for men left the strong international competition far behind in the category "Extravagant and Provocative". The living surf legend Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman from L.A. won the "JANARA Swimwear Honorary Award" this year. 

There were six different categories to choose from in the swimwear awards. In addition, the personal honourary prize, the "JANARA Swimwear Honorary Award" for special achievements in the field of swim culture, was awarded again. This year's winner was Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman, immortalised in the film series "Gidget", a living surfing legend who, through her carefree actions in her youth, caused a real surfing boom, for the first time also among young women. The contribution of the now 80-year-old Kathy to the surf culture, once reserved for men only, and to equal rights for women, not only around her home in Malibu, is still very present 65 years after her first surfing attempts.   

Refined elegance in pleasant pastel shades
The American/Turkish label "Lily & Rose" won in the "High Fashion&Elegance" category. The jury was convinced by the versatility and elegance of the collection, which is in pastel shades and comes with gold accessories. The applications underline the chic and classic design. With Lily & Rose, you are perfectly dressed for every poolside rendezvous.

A touch of the Amazon's originality!
In the "Colorful & Jolly" category, the Brazilian label "Blueman", which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, impressed with many classic prints from its exciting design past. The cuts, for example the daring high-waist panties or the choice of fabrics, are successful new interpretations. Particularly colourful prints were used. This year's collection was inspired by the colours, patterns and motifs of the indigenous Amazon cultures.

The bang for the buck: men's bikini from Riowins
The label "Fernando Cozendey" by the Brazilian designer of the same name is the winner of the category "Extravagant & Provocative". An absolutely worthy winner according to the jury's assessment, because Cozendey repeatedly tackles issues such as gender, race and beauty standards and promotes the inclusion of the male body in the bikini universe with a free and provocative spirit. The 2021 collection draws heavily on the originality of African women designers. All models for women and men are staged productions.

Retro is chic! The style of days gone by reinterpreted.
In the "Retro" category, the winner is a German label whose name is a historical old German word "Prachtstück". The label's retro style gives the pieces a touch of eroticism combined with the romance of days gone by. Heavier fabrics are used with a firm inner structure that deliberately highlights and enchantingly emphasises the feminine curves. 

Prosthetic solutions for bikinis and swimming costumes, as well as swimwear for pregnancy!
The German label "Anita" is the winner of the category "Sustainability & Innovation". Anita is very well known for its great collections. In their collection line "Care", the designer experience is used for inclusion and offers beauty and well-being for women with mastectomy: the freedom to bathe and sunbathe and feel really good should be made possible for all. The Maternity collection line also designs visually beautiful solutions for pregnant women. 

A trend reaches beach and pool: Slow Fashion!
"Léa the Label" is the winner of the "Newcomer" category. Léa Daaboul, born in Lebanon, is the founder of the label and also a yoga teacher and sees herself as a citizen of the world between the currents with stations in France, the USA and Dubai. Because of this personal background, Léa's creations are based on principles of sustainability, such as slow fashion and the use of environmentally friendly materials on creations that are both daring and comfortable, mostly in neutral shades. Her creations fascinate with a radiance all of their own.

Also on Sptizenrankings:
Lenny Niemeyer, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Leonard Paris, Philip Plein, Emilio Pucci, Inamorata, Agent Provocateur and many more. 

JANARA Swimwear Honorary Award 2021/22
This year, this special jury award goes to Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman ("Gidget"), the first well-known female surfer in the USA.
Gidget's contributions to bathing culture:
She is the first female surfer on Malibu Beach, making the male-only sport a sensation and thus a role model. After often watching the boys surf at Malibu Beach, Kathy decided to pursue this passion herself at the age of 15.
In 1957, her father Frederick Kohner's novel "Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas" hit the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. The work is about a young female surfer in Malibu who competes with talent and enthusiasm in a supposedly male sport and in the process awakens the enthusiasm for surfing in many young people. Due to its great success, Columbia Pictures decided to film the story of Gidget in 1959, which was later followed by the TV series "The New Gidget". Behind the self-confident novel character, however, there is a real person: Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman (*1941), the author's daughter, inspired her father Frederick Kohner to write the story with her diary entries.

After the publication of the book and the film adaptation, Malibu became a hotspot for the surfing scene.
Gidget was voted Woman of the Year by the judges of the Surfing Walk of Fame in 2011. https://surfingwalkoffame.com/kathy-gidget-kohner-zuckern/
Kathy is on display at the BikiniARTmuseum as an example of strong women who fought for a piece of freedom for women with passion, charm and assertiveness.

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General information
Due to the unpredictability caused by the pandemic, no gala can take place this year either.

The JANARA Swimwear Award is held annually. The jury is made up of leading international experts. Ghislaine Rayer and Patrice Gaulupeau (Paris), Lilian Pacce (Sao Paulo), Bruce Wigo (Fort Lauderdale), Helmut Schuster (Miami/Berlin), Roger Fritz (Munich).
The sponsor is the BikiniARTmuseum Foundation, an institution of the BikiniARTmuseum in Bad Rappenau, Germany, whose mission is to create a first worldwide memory of swimwear culture and, on the other hand, to gain more public attention and appreciation for swimwear.

Statistics
Brazil has two winning labels and a sensational winner in Fernando Cozendey, who beat off strong international competition in the "Extravagant & Provocative" category.
Germany also has two winners for the first time in the categories "Retro" and "Sustainability & Innovation". With Léa the Label, a label based in Asia (Dubai) and founded by a Lebanese designer won for the first time.