For The Splash's last post of the year, we are bringing our fashionable readers a review of what made the designer swimwear industry tick in 2009 - the brands, the trends and the technological breakthroughs that stood out this year - so read on and start 2010 being hip to the latest swimwear tendencies!

The Brands

L*Space: In many respects, it was the year of designer Monica Wise, from L*Space. While a number of celebrity sightings and magazine coverage on L*Space helped make it so, Monica was also the recipient of two prestigious industry recognitions this year: the featured designer for the Mercedes-Benz Swim Fashion Week in Miami, and the winner of the Surf Industry Manufacturing Association (SIMA) Award for 'Brand of the Year' - the latter for the third consecutive year!

ViX Swimwear: It's virtually unanimous among celebrities. They LOVE ViX Swimwear. The deluge of celebs, magazine covers, magazine features, commercials, etc., featuring ViX swimsuits is absolutely impressive. Designer Paula Hermanny has found a winning formula in her creations and it shows (in many publications the world over)! For these reasons, we vote Vix and L*Space the most successful brands of the year.



The Trends

Bandeau tops are so in! Virtually every designer (and self-respected fashionista) had at least one to show on and off the runway. This style is ultra-feminine and with the help of added support in current styles, these will continue to be hot, hot, hot in 2010.

Call them cut-outs, cut-aways, monokinis or trikinis, the result is the same: a top and bottom swimsuit, connected at the center. This year, designers were called upon to be creative with their monokini cuts and styles and they responded with nothing less than visionary concepts.



The Breakthroughs

INVISTA, the maker of LYCRA® fabric, launched a new standard in swimwear textile, named Xtra Life LYCRA®. This special fabric was developed to counter the 'bag and sag' effect and deliver a long-lasting fit. According to the manufacturer, "Xtra Life LYCRA® fiber resists chlorine and other pool chemicals 5-10 times longer than unprotected elastane", allowing garments to keep their shape longer. A few designers have already started experimenting with this special LYCRA®. A move that keeps our beautiful designer swimwear pieces lasting longer? We definitely approve!

Already popular in other fashion sectors, designers' experiments with the laser-cutting technique became more prominent this year. The benefits are clear: 1. highly precise, clean cuts; 2. ability to create complex shapes, intricate details; 3. edge-sealing capability for most fabrics, minimizing fraying. Watch the runway and you will notice the most avant-garde designers have already adopted this process.



So, this rounds up our list of the latest and greatest in the designer swimwear industry for 2009.
We wish all of our readers a lovely New Year - we will see you back here in 2010 with more of the best in women's swimwear trends and news!