Agua by Agua Bendita

What Agua by Agua Bendita does

Agua by Agua Bendita is the luxury sub-brand of the Colombian fashion house Agua Bendita, launched in 2018 by co-founders Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza. The brand designs and sells premium women's swimwear and ready-to-wear — bikini tops and bottoms priced roughly $170–$330, one-pieces $310–$610, and dresses up to approximately $3,500 — produced in limited runs using hand-illustrated botanical prints and hand embroidery by a network of Colombian artisans with whom the founders have worked for ~20 years; each piece requires between 2.5 and 7.5 hours of handwork. The company operates three collections per year and sells through a DTC e-commerce site built on Shopify, supported by HubSpot for CRM and Attentive for SMS marketing, alongside four owned retail stores in Colombia and a Miami-based warehouse servicing US orders.

The business model is predominantly direct-to-consumer: revenue is generated through owned retail and first-party e-commerce, supplemented by selected brand collaborations such as the 2023 Gucci Vault partnership and the 2024 Misette tableware launch. Pricing is positioned firmly in luxury, with no evidence of external funding, wholesale department-store accounts, or licensing income of material scale. Headcount stands at approximately 20 employees, and the company is headquartered in Medellín, Colombia, with US operations run out of Miami.

Brand visibility is concentrated in fashion media — Vogue, Elle, WWD, and Harper's Bazaar have featured the label — providing top-of-funnel demand but not a recurring revenue channel. Geographic expansion is the principal growth vector, with 2024 marking the formal US push via Miami and the opening of a new Barranquilla store, while category extension into lifestyle goods (Misette) signals intent to broaden beyond apparel. The competitive position rests on craft, heritage, and editorial cachet rather than scale, technology, or data advantages.

Name

Agua by Agua Bendita

Legal name

Agua Bendita LLC

Website

https://us.aguabyaguabendita.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agua by Agua Bendita is a Colombian luxury fashion brand designing hand-embroidered women's swimwear and ready-to-wear priced $170–$3,500, sold DTC online via Shopify and through four retail stores in Colombia, with a Miami-based US e-commerce operation launched in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Women's Fashion

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621)

akta.pro primary industry

Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Luxury swimwear
• Ready-to-wear apparel
• Hand-embroidered fashion
• Resort wear
• Women's designer clothing

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product purchases through the company's US e-commerce website (us.aguabyaguabendita.com), selling swimwear, ready-to-wear, and accessories directly to consumers. Free shipping on orders over $650.
2. Physical Retail Stores: Company-owned retail stores in Colombia (Cartagena, Medellín, Bogotá, Barranquilla) selling full-price products directly to consumers. Flagship store located in Cartagena's Centro Histórico.
3. Curated Luxury Retailers: Distribution through selected luxury and contemporary retailers, both e-tailers and boutique spaces, expanding reach beyond owned channels.
4. Brand Collaborations and Licensing: Collaboration products such as the Gucci Vault capsule collection and Misette tableware partnership, licensing brand designs and artisanal craftsmanship to luxury partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Agua by Agua Bendita is a luxury women's fashion brand that designs, produces, and sells hand-embroidered swimwear, dresses, pareos, scarves, and ready-to-wear apparel. Products feature signature hand-illustrated botanical prints, intricate hand embroidery by Colombian artisans, and sustainable fabrics such as recycled polyester with UPF 50 protection, linen, and silk. The brand releases three collections per year and sells through its own US e-commerce site, four Colombian retail stores, and curated luxury retailers globally.

Product overview

Agua by Agua Bendita is a luxury fashion brand offering a cohesive portfolio of swimwear and ready-to-wear clothing for women. The product line centers on two core categories: Swimwear (bikini tops, bikini bottoms, one-piece swimsuits, body suits) and Ready-to-Wear (dresses, pareos, scarves, crop tops, shirts, trousers, skirts, shorts, kaftans). All products share signature brand elements: hand-illustrated botanical prints, intricate hand embroidery by Colombian artisans, romantic silhouettes, and sustainable fabrics (recycled polyester, linen, silk, cotton). The brand releases three collections per year, with current offerings including the Isleña collection, and features bestsellers like the Lavanda Navegante pareo and Kiwi Playa bikini top. Product materials range from 100% linen and silk to recycled polyester with UPF 50 sun protection for swimwear.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swimwear Luxury swimwear including bikini tops ($210-$300), bikini bottoms ($170-$330), one-piece swimsuits ($310-$610), and body suits featuring hand-illustrated botanical prints, intricate hand embroidery by Colombian artisans, and sustainable fabrics including recycled polyester with UPF 50 sun protection. Targeted at women seeking high-quality, distinctive swimwear with cultural significance.
• Dresses Ready-to-wear dresses in mini, midi, and maxi styles featuring romantic silhouettes, hand-illustrated botanical prints, and intricate hand embroidery by Colombian artisans. Designed for special occasions, resort wear, and vacation use.
• Pareos Beach cover-ups and sarongs in mini and midi lengths crafted from Cotton Silk blends. Feature hand-illustrated prints and tie fastening at the waist, priced at $360.
• Scarves Silk scarves crafted in Italian twill silk with hand-illustrated prints mirrored on both sides. Versatile accessories measuring 62cm x 62cm, priced at $470.
• Crop Tops Ready-to-wear cropped tops featuring corseted constructions, hand-illustrated prints, and embroidered detailing. Styles include strapless, square neckline, and peplum designs, priced $550-$650.
• Shirts Silk and linen shirts with hand-illustrated botanical prints and intricate embroidery details.
• Trousers Ready-to-wear trousers featuring tailored cuts and hand-illustrated prints in linen and other sustainable fabrics, priced $500-$660.
• Skirts Skirts in various lengths including maxi and midi styles featuring hand-illustrated prints and romantic silhouettes.
• Kaftans Flowing beach cover-ups (kaftans) featuring hand-illustrated prints and intricate embroidery detailing.
• Shorts Ready-to-wear shorts featuring hand-illustrated prints and romantic silhouettes in linen fabrics.
• Body Suits Beach and resort body suits featuring hand-illustrated prints and UPF 50 sun protection in recycled polyester.
• Accessories Accessories including silk scarves and pareos crafted with hand-illustrated prints and fine materials like Italian twill silk.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production limited to 3 collections per year to reduce environmental impact
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• MisettecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on a tableware collection featuring embroidered linens, hand-blown glassware, hand-painted plates, and candles. The collection uses Agua's signature blue and white floral prints inspired by their latest summer collection. Both brands share a commitment to craftsmanship and unique artisanal expression.
• Gucci (Gucci Vault)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Agua by Agua Bendita was selected as one of eight global brands to participate in Gucci Vault's High Summer 2023 collection. The collaboration featured resort beachwear with hand-embroidered pieces by Colombian artisans. This partnership positioned the Colombian brand alongside international luxury labels in Gucci's experimental concept store.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the US online store (us.aguabyaguabendita.com). Shopify provides the online e-commerce platform, payment processing via Shopify Payments, and secure data storage.
• UPScoreOthersPrimary shipping carrier for US orders. Standard shipping with estimated delivery time of 2-9 business days depending on destination state.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Silvia Tcherassi: Colombian luxury womenswear designer with a strong resort and occasion-wear assortment sold internationally. Comparable as a fellow Colombian luxury fashion house with shared cultural narrative and editorial coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Eres: French luxury lingerie and swimwear house owned by LVMH. Comparable as a broader luxury swimwear incumbent with deeper resources and global retail, representing the competitive ceiling for artisanal swim brands.

Direct peers

• Mara Hoffman: New York-based luxury womenswear brand with a strong resort and swimwear assortment and a stated commitment to sustainability. Comparable positioning at the intersection of ready-to-wear, swim, and conscious luxury with similar editorial-driven marketing.
• Johanna Ortiz: Colombian luxury womenswear designer recognized for romantic, resort-ready silhouettes and artisanal craft. Closely comparable given shared Colombian heritage, ready-to-wear/resort positioning, and similar press footprint.
• Adriana Degreas: Brazilian luxury swimwear and beachwear brand known for hand-embellished prints and vibrant resort collections. Highly comparable as a Latin American luxury swimwear peer with artisanal finishes and resort-wear DNA.
• PatBo: Brazilian luxury womenswear and swimwear label known for hand-beaded and embroidered resort pieces. Comparable as a fellow Latin American luxury brand leveraging handcrafted embellishment and editorial-driven marketing.
• Hunza G: British luxury swimwear and resort wear brand famous for its signature crinkle fabric and bold color. Directly comparable as a premium, design-led swimwear label serving a similar luxury vacation-wear customer with a similar price architecture.
• Solid & Striped: US-based premium swimwear and ready-to-wear label with a similar price band and resort-wear focus. Comparable as a digitally-native luxury swim brand targeting the same vacation-occasion customer.

Emerging players

• Faithfull The Brand: Bali-based emerging luxury womenswear and swim brand with vintage-inspired prints and a similar artisanal, feminine aesthetic. Comparable as a digitally-native peer in the same price segment with shared print-led design language.
• Monday Swimwear: US-based digitally-native luxury swimwear brand with sleek minimal silhouettes. Comparable as a peer targeting the same luxury swim customer via a similar direct-to-consumer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aguabyaguabendita
• Instagraminstagram.com/aguabyaguabendita
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agua-by-agua-bendita

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agua by Agua Bendita