Sundek Swim Trunks Enjoy Another Heyday
In the 1940’s, a new line of swimwear started to appear on dudes who spent much of their time beachside, when surf culture was in its initial inception. Form-fitting, brightly colored and artfully proportioned, Sundek became instantly recognizable by its blazing sun logo, later translated into the mission: “chase the sun.” In 1958, Italy-based Sundek began to focus its attention on the California coasts and islands of Hawaii and developed a legion of dedicated loyalists. Styles have changed slightly. They currently emulate Eighties prototypes, becoming highly influential in the general trend toward shorter swim trunks. NMdaily spoke with Agostino Magni, CEO of Kickoff USA, Sundek’s parent company.
What do you think made Sundek a successful brand and why do you think they were able to tap into the surf culture?
Sundek was still developing during the late Fifties and the California surf community was still in its infancy. Many surfers at the time were not outfitted in proper swimwear. Some were surfing in walking shorts or cutoffs. This worked, but you could not label it “comfortable” or even “functional” in terms of performance. Sundek recognized the lack of performance swimwear and created new designs geared to the burgeoning community.
Your efforts are concentrated on the creation of “technical swimwear”. What exactly is this?
This is a related to our origins as a surf wear brand. Many of the attributes found on board shorts nowadays were originally introduced into swimwear by Sundek in response to the needs of surfers. We introduced Velcro flies to replace cumbersome zippers. We swapped heavy absorbent fabrics with higher-quality and quick-drying nylons. Since our U.S. relaunch in 2008, we’ve approached the market as a more fashion-forward swimwear brand. The technical qualities that made Sundek so popular with surfers have translated seamlessly into fashion swimwear. Style cannot exist without function and we have always strived for both.
What does the Sundek logo represent?
I would like to think that it represents a passion or a dream. Our customers “Chase the Sun.” Visualize a surfer doing what he loves doing: up at the break of day, swimming out, and riding in all day long. Essentially, he is chasing the sun from dusk to dawn.
Tell us about some of the recent collaborations you have embarked on.
Most recently, we’ve been working with men’s wear designer Neil Barrett and the collaboration is nothing short of brilliant. Neil has a very powerful minimalist vision that is unmistakably unique. Moreover, Neil is very comfortable working with nylon and this allows him to flawlessly incorporate his vision with our technical aspects.
Who do you think epitomizes the Sundek customer?
Someone fashion-sensible and cool. Sean Connery as James Bond.
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