Two-piece or one-piece? Doesn't matter – the main thing is swimwear! As director of Gran Canaria Moda Cálida, Minerva Alonso wants to take the Gran Canaria Swim Week to the forefront. Since 1996, the event has developed into Europe's leading platform for swimwear – and aims to become an even stronger bikini bridge between Europe and America. In this interview, Minerva, whose Gran Canaria Moda Cálida promotion and development program, like the Fashion Council Germany, is part of the European Fashion Alliance, talks about international collaboration and her personal vision for the Gran Canaria Swim Week.

Minerva, what does European fashion mean to you? To me, European fashion is an expression of the way we live, create and understand the world through diversity. Europe is made up of countries with very different cultures, traditions, values and identities, and it is precisely this richness that makes European fashion unique. Each territory contributes its own vision, while at the same time sharing a common identity built on creativity, innovation, quality and respect for cultural diversity. European fashion is distinctive in every country, yet remarkably strong when presented as a collective whole.

The latest edition of Gran Canaria Swim Week took place from 24 to 27 June. What were the main thematic and strategic priorities for this edition?Gran Canaria Swim Week has always been linked to a set of values that represent both our island and the swimwear fashion created and showcased here: freedom, diversity, sustainability and the cosmopolitan character of Gran Canaria. This year, we wanted to reinforce those messages while also incorporating a concept that is becoming increasingly relevant in the way we understand fashion, summer and the lifestyle associated with swimwear: wellbeing. For that reason, health and wellness were among the key themes of this edition. Swimwear is not only about aesthetics; it is also connected to a way of life centred on self-care, enjoying our surroundings and maintaining a balanced relationship with both our bodies and our environment.

As Europe’s only professional runway event dedicated exclusively to swimwear, this past edition of Gran Canaria Swim Week aligned for the first time with the international swimwear calendar, taking place alongside the swimwear weeks in Miami and Las Vegas. Yes, and the message was very clear: Gran Canaria is Europe’s leading platform for swimwear fashion. By aligning ourselves with the international calendar, we aim to strengthen our role as a meeting point for European swimwear brands, providing them with a platform through which they can promote their collections, access new markets and connect with buyers and industry professionals from around the world. At the same time, we want to consolidate our role as a bridge between Europe and the Americas. Gran Canaria enjoys a privileged geographical and cultural position that encourages exchange between both continents, and we believe swimwear fashion can find here a unique space for dialogue, collaboration and shared growth.

Intercultural dialogue is especially important today. For the Spring/Summer 2025 season, GCSW collaborated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, bringing their designers to the event for the first time. This season you also welcomed international designers such as Banana Moon, Alexandra Miro and Melissa Odabash. How important is international collaboration for you, and what central role does the EFA play in this context? International collaboration is fundamental to our vision for Gran Canaria Swim Week. We want to remain a truly international platform, and that is only possible if we continue to welcome designers, brands, buyers and professionals from different countries. Our ambition is for Gran Canaria to become a space for exchange between European and American swimwear fashion, and achieving that requires us to maintain an internationally focused programme and actively encourage the participation of brands from around the world. In this context, the European Fashion Alliance plays an essential role. For us, it has become a space for dialogue, learning and shared growth. It has allowed us to understand how other countries work, exchange experiences, identify common challenges and build a stronger, more collaborative European vision for the future of the industry.

As you mentioned, one of your objectives is to position Gran Canaria and its fashion industry on the global map. How can alliances such as the EFA help achieve this goal? Partnerships are essential to expanding the reach of any project. The EFA allows us to be part of a leading European network, share experiences and create opportunities for collaboration with institutions and platforms that play a key role in their respective countries. At the same time, Gran Canaria can also contribute value to that network. We are a public, open and highly specialised platform with a unique position within the international swimwear landscape. Sharing our working model and placing our platform at the service of European initiatives helps strengthen the wider ecosystem of European fashion.

What can Gran Canaria and its fashion platform learn from other European partners? And how can GCSW support them in return? We can learn a great deal from the experiences of other countries. We are interested in understanding the challenges faced by their fashion businesses, how they approach sustainability, the protection of traditional crafts, innovation and international competitiveness. The EFA gives us access to that knowledge and helps us better understand how the industry is evolving across different European contexts. In return, Gran Canaria Swim Week can offer an internationally recognised specialist platform, extensive experience in promoting swimwear fashion and a public support model that may be valuable to other territories. The exchange of knowledge and best practices should always be a two-way process.

You have previously spoken about sustainability in relation to the EFA and the Green Deal. What sustainable practices or approaches can Gran Canaria contribute to the European dialogue?

Sustainability forms part of a broader strategy developed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through our Ecoisland model. This approach integrates energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, food sovereignty, social cohesion and cultural preservation. Within Gran Canaria Moda Cálida, we apply these principles to the fashion sector through a range of initiatives. We encourage sustainable practices through our support programmes, incorporate sustainability criteria into participation and selection processes, and promote an ethical code that all participating brands must adopt in order to be part of the programme. We believe sustainability must be approached in a comprehensive way, combining environmental responsibility, social commitment and the preservation of each territory’s cultural identity.

The EFA was founded in 2022, while Gran Canaria Swim Week has existed since 1996. How has the emergence of the EFA supported or influenced GCSW’s mission? Has it changed the role of GCSW in any way? Joining the EFA has been enormously positive for Gran Canaria Swim Week. Our first contact came through Fashion Council Germany, an organisation to which we are especially grateful for facilitating a very valuable dialogue and opening the door to a European network of collaboration that has been fundamental to our growth. Thanks to that initial support, we were able to share our vision, receive guidance and begin building relationships that have been key to the international evolution of Gran Canaria Swim Week. Participation in the alliance has strengthened our internationalisation strategy, enabled us to exchange knowledge with other European organisations and reinforced our commitment to sustainability and the development of a more responsible fashion industry. Rather than changing our mission, the EFA has helped expand it and project it onto a much stronger European dimension.

The first EFA Summit took place in Gran Canaria in early 2023. What did this gathering mean for GCSW as host and founding member? It was both a great honour and a significant responsibility. Having the opportunity to welcome representatives from Europe’s leading fashion councils and organisations to Gran Canaria was an important recognition of the work we have been doing. The summit allowed us to present our vision, explain the public support model we have developed through Gran Canaria Moda Cálida and share with our European partners the work we have undertaken to position Gran Canaria Swim Week internationally as Europe’s leading swimwear platform. It was also an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the island’s position on the European fashion map and reinforce relationships that continue to grow and develop today.

International partnerships, such as those established with Copenhagen Fashion Week, Berlin Fashion Week and Milan, have already contributed to the international positioning of Gran Canaria Swim Week. Looking ahead, what goals do you hope to achieve together with the EFA? What new ambitions are you pursuing? We want to continue strengthening Gran Canaria’s role as an international reference point for swimwear fashion while sharing our public support model for the fashion sector within the EFA. We firmly believe that public institutions have an important role to play in strengthening creative industries, and we want to continue contributing that experience to the European dialogue. Our ambition is to consolidate Gran Canaria as an international fashion destination, continue creating opportunities for our businesses and actively contribute to the EFA’s shared objectives in areas such as sustainability, innovation, cooperation and the competitiveness of the European fashion sector.