Canary Islands designers hit Miami Fashion Week

Grand Canary's textile and fashion alliance, Moda Cálida, will debut swimwear in the US market at Fashion Week in Miami, which is billed as the "main global gateway" of the textile sector.

Grand Canary is the second most populated island in Spain's Canary Islands.

Aurelia Gil, a womenswear designer part of Grand Canary's Gran Canaria Moda Cálida textile alliance, commented on the approach to breaking through into the US market, saying, "the first step to enter the American market, a very difficult market", is with bikinis, swimsuits and accessories for water entertainment. Fashion Week in Miami will be the platform used to debut on an international scale.

The announcement was made as part of a number of fashion initiatives from the Moda Cálida in recent weeks to expand the island's distribution and presence on catwalks. The group has been active recently, joining Madrid's Fashion Capital initiative as well to get more exposure.

The Fashion Week participation benefits the businesses of the companies who use the program as a means to promote diversification of the economy of the island.

Antonio Morales, president of the Moda Cálida, commented on the Miami debut, explaining the move "generates economy and supports the grancanario [local] talent."

300 companies are currently members of the Gran Canaria Moda Cálida. It is driven by the Council of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts of Grand Canary.

Fashion is a growing sector on the island and is anticipated to have high possibilities of industrial expansion to boost the economy.