Natura

Ask any girl from Ipanema and ViX will very likely be among her favorite resort wear brands. The brand's trademark is the special finish on swimsuits – leather, ropes, metal, straw or resin. Designer and founder Paula Hermanny was born in Vitória, Brazil, but lives in San Diego, California. A surfer since her teenage years, she knows beach culture in both countries, and makes swimwear that will please both audiences (smaller bottoms for Brazilians and wider coverage for more-modest Americans). Her bathing suits can be found at department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as Net-a-Porter and Shopbop. Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen – and even Kate Middleton! – are among the clients who have worn her creations.

If you think of an iconic carioca at the beach, she will definitely be wearing the biquini de lacinho, “string bikini” in English. And no brand better represents Rio's typical swimwear than Salinas. Founded by Jacqueline de Biase in 1982, the brand hasn't slowed down since – even with constant competition from up and coming brands. Now present in more than 20 countries and with 43 stores in Brazil, their colorful patterns and easy styles have been seen on celebs like Naomi Campbell and Madonna, as well as featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Vogue. You can find the brand at Intermix, Shopbop or Amazon.

Brazilian Marcia Kemp has always been a travel aficionado, vacationing to avoid touristic places. In her search for exotic and new cultures, she found her biggest passion and, now, a business. She decided to work connecting communities in need of help with people who could and wanted to help. Nannacay, means “women’s sisterhood” in Quechua Aimara, an ancient indigenous language spoken by the peoples of the Andes and highlands of South America. Currently, collections of hats, bags and fans are being created by Brazilian, Peruvian and Colombian artisans, designed for women who admire both beauty and simplicity! They can be found at Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi and Shopbop.

It doesn’t get more Brazilian than Havaianas: “the original flip flop”. The brand, which began in 1962, is a pioneer in the flip flop industry. Originally inspired by the Japanese sandal known as Zori, made with rice straw soles and fabric straps, Havaianas were adapted to a tropical environment. With a variety of models, shapes and colors, Havaianas are extremely comfortable. They became a hit because of their quality, durability and super affordable price. Havaianas continue to be very innovative with new styles. You can find them at Zappos, Amazon, and in many department stores.

Coconut water is sold on every Brazilian beach. Famous for its nutrient-rich hydration, and fresh clean taste, beach goers will often drink multiple coconuts in one day. Today there is an ever-growing selection of coconut water brands available in the U.S. Our favorite is Pure Brazilian. We love the way it tastes and the fact that they only use hand picked Anão coconuts from plantations in the Northeast of Brazil – farm-to-bottle style. An added plus: the Pure Brazilian team donates 1% of sales to the world’s pre-eminent environmental organization, Conservation International, to help them reforest the lungs of the Earth: the precious Amazon rainforest.