The Future of Swimwear: Fast, Smart & Seamless

As part of the growing Bodywear Area at PERFORMANCE DAYS, Best of Intima spoke with Nichole de Carle, founder of London Contour Experts Group and curator of the Bodywear Area, about the future of swimwear, where seamless technology, smart fabrics, and multifunctional design are redefining the category.

Best of Intima: Nichole, what’s next for swimwear?

Nichole de Carle: Think beyond the beach. Swimwear is becoming part of a multi-functional wardrobe, pieces you can swim, train, and live in. It’s all about performance meets style.

What’s driving that shift?

Fabric innovation, full stop. We’re talking UV protection, compression, quick-dry, chlorine resistance… all built in. But the real game-changer? Seamless knitting. Machines from pioneers like Santoni are enabling fully engineered garments with body mapping, so support and compression are knitted exactly where you need them.
Add free-cut technology, and suddenly you’ve got ultra-clean edges that flatter the body without digging in. It looks better, feels better and it’s efficient. A full swimsuit can be made in just nine minutes, with zero waste.

That sounds like a big shift for production too…

Huge. Faster, smarter, and more conscious. It’s not just innovation for innovation’s sake, it’s about making better products at scale.

How does that connect with PERFORMANCE DAYS?

They’re right at the center of it. PERFORMANCE DAYS is where these next-gen materials and technologies come together, pushing boundaries across swim, activewear, and bodywear. It’s all merging.

So, one wardrobe for everything?

Exactly. The future is fewer, smarter pieces that do more. Seamless, sculpting, adaptable, designed to move with you across your day.

What should brands focus on right now?

Speed, durability, and smart design. If you can create high performance, zero-waste pieces that look incredible, you’re winning.

Final word?

Swimwear is getting a serious upgrade. When you can engineer, knit, and finish a garment in minutes, with performance built in and it looks incredible, that’s not just evolution… It's a revolution.