About bekeen
bekeen - The name stands for sustainability, curiosity and sporty style. We focus on competitive sports and combine fashion with functionality. We believe it's time to change the world of sports. Away from environmentally harmful swimsuits and swimtrunks, towards bekeenis made from old fishing nets and other recycled materials (e.g. polyester). If that sounds exciting to you, here is our story.
How everything started
It all started with our founder Celina, who had once again used up one of her many training suits. As a competitive swimmer at the time, it was everyday life for her to constantly have to buy new swimsuits. But just like our founder, a lot of you know what that means: new swimsuit, newly produced plastic. And that will most likely end up in the sea. This fact is a huge problem in today's consumer society. Let's change that!
True to this motto, Celina looked for sustainable alternatives to conventional swimsuits. But she couldn't find anything. The reason: sustainability and environmental awareness require special production steps, unusual and high-quality materials and a fair manufacturing process. This leads to a higher price of the finished product, organic markets are an example. As a customer, you can also expect an all-round satisfactory swimsuit that fits well and looks great. Right? Well - the established global brands have sustainable lines in their range, but unfortunately they also look like it - according to this outdated cliché that sustainability is somehow unsexy. Sustainable fashion startups with beautifully designed swimwear are fashionable, but useless for everyday training. Celina was sure that she could do better.
About two years ago, the native of Aachen founded our sustainable swimwear label bekeen with the support of the University of Potsdam. She found her cooperation partner for the production of the swimsuits in Bali. After two years in Bali, in 2023, we've successfully relocated our production to Spain. This move marks a significant milestone in our journey, enhancing efficiency and quality while staying true to our commitment to sustainability and excellence.
Sustainable fabrics for swimwear
At bekeen we use some special fabrics for swimwear. One made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon, this yarn is made from nylon waste otherwise polluting the earth, like fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring, and industrail plastic; another one is Repreve made from recycled plastic bottles. Both are elastic, chlorine-resistant and fit well. Our latest fabric is made from recycled polyester. It is a high performance fabric, designed for the creation of breathable, non see-through swimwear. Part of the environmental problems thus becomes fashion and a contribution to environmental protection.
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Design
bekeen swimsuits and trunks are all about exciting cuts with optimal fit, even under extreme conditions. They are rich in colors and the hand-drawn prints remind of summer. Shallow blue water reflects. Deep red sunsets warm the skin. Green palm leaves on the shore dance in the wind. Our swimsuits and trunks are not slipping away, neither when jumping into the water nor while swimming. Even with intensive, regular training in chlorinated water, they retain their stability and color strength.
What's behind our name?
You may have noticed, the name bekeen can be associated with “to be keen on something”, but also with “curious, open to new things”. At the same time, bekeen is a part of the well-known beach two piece “bikini”. The connection to water and swimming is therefore already clear in the company name. It is of course no coincidence that we have also included some bekeenis in our range.
"Made by swimmers for swimmers"
We want to prove that function doesn't have to follow form to look good. Celina has experience in competitive swimming for over a decade. "I’ve trained up to 20 hours a week and spent countless hours competing." She knows exactly where a suit tends to pinch, where the fabric tends to slip and where the typical problem areas are. She would like to share this treasure with you: bekeen is made by swimmers for swimmers.
