ShowMe interviews Carina from Agua Dreamz Bikinis
When: Open Monday-Friday 10:00-17:00/Saturday 10:00-14:00
Where: 142 Buitengracht Street at the Urban Hub (across Cape Town Lodge)
Tel: +2721 424 8292
Interviewing: Owner Carina Kaercher http://www.carinakaercher.com
What do you sell at Agua Dreamz?
Bikinis, clothing, knitted bags, lingerie, hair accessories and jewellery…
and everything is Handmade. We offer items from both local and international designers….
What makes your shop different to other stores?
Well, we were the very first ones in Cape Town to launch and offer the incredible and unique Agua Bendita swimming wear from Colombia. It’s very sought after and can’t be found anywhere else in Cape Town.
From which other countries do you import?
We stock handpicked Brazilian Sobral jewellery and also a couple of items from England, where the jewellery is made from materials such as brass, wood and Perspex. Also popular and trendy bags from the US known as My-Other-Bag that are pictures of designer bags hand printed on cotton canvas.
Tell us about the local designs that you stock.
Well, I’m always looking for new stock and new unique brands, but currently I have three major South African brands.
Ilundi Bags are leather belts and leather bags that are hand dyed and sowed.
Lulu K Designer Bags are made by women who live in townships and they also only use local materials. Inside every bag is the name of the special lady who made the bag and in this way by purchasing a bag, we are also supporting the less privileged community.
Marilyn Jones Artworks are very natural. Also known as a sculptor, she uses shells that she picks up on the beach near her house in Camps Bay and combines them with crystals to make beautiful jewellery.
What made you open this exclusive shop?
My boyfriend, Ross, and I came up with the idea while working abroad on a Caribbean cruise ship. We saw women with exotic and unique bikinis and wanted to introduce them to Cape Town with her beautiful beaches. The Agua Bendita bikinis are so much more beautiful and uniquely different in comparison to the mass production of Roxy and Billabong bikinis. The only other shop in South Africa that also sells these handmade bikinis is found in Durban.
You’re not from Cape Town; tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a German girl in love with a South African man. I can describe myself as a singer, dancer, actor and model and have performed in big European productions. My passion has always been around fashion and performance and that is why I took on this new adventure of opening Agua Dreamz. I plan on moving between Germany and Cape Town while living out my dream of being a performer and owning my own unique shop.
Since when have you been open and how do people find you?
We’ve been open since January 2013 and most people walk past the shop and are drawn to the uniqueness of the clothing displayed in the window. Many people see the shop while stopping at the traffic light and other hear of us by word of mouth. We update our Facebook page with all our latest fashions and have already been featured in the Private Edition Magazine, B-Guided Brochure and also have competitions now and then in more Fashionable Magazines like Cosmopolitan. What I’ve found in these past months is that there are a lot of women who really enjoy the convenience of walking into a bikini store in the middle of winter when they’re looking for something to take with them to their sunny holiday destination, and here at Agua Dreamz we offer that to our clients.
Tell us more about the clothing.
We sell summer dresses, Harlem pants, leggings, long and short colourful dresses with funky prints, one-piece jump suits and handmade leather boots with pearls and beads. The lingerie is playful and consists of 100% silk, French lace with cute prints and patterns.
Finally, Agua Bendita seems to be your signature brand, tell us more about this exclusive and very exotic brand.
Well as I’ve said, the bikinis are all handmade and imported from Colombia. It started as a business between two friends who were making handmade bikinis and now there are more than 700 employees making handmade bikinis for Agua Bendita. The styles range from full bikinis, Brazilian cut style bottoms to wired cups, lace, boob tubes and super sexy ones. They are all very detailed with beads and lace and full of colour for the beach. South African top model, Candice Swanepoel is currently the face of Agua Bendita and such a wonderful ambassador.
Future Plans?
We are currently working on our website so that these unique items can also be bought from our online store.
Price Range:
Bikinis/Lingerie R1000-R1500
Bags R300-R1500
Clothing R500-R2500
Jewellery R300-R800
Content: Ed Beukes