MERCURIO SWIM LAUNCHES IN PUERTO VALLARTA

Paul Crist, owner of Hotel Mercurio and fashion designer Todd Barnes have launched a new men’s swimwear line – Mercurio Swim. The swimwear line is available at their new boutique located at Lázaro Cárdenas 279-C, Colonia Emiliano Zapata, in Puerto Vallarta. The Mercurio brand, which started when Crist acquired and re-imagined Hotel Mercurio in 2002, was named after Mercurio (Mercury in English) – the Roman god of commerce, communication, eloquence (poetry) and the protector of travelers. GED Magazine sat down with Crist and Barnes to discuss the Mercurio brand.

“We were looking for a name that was relatively easy to pronounce in both Spanish and English, and also had some relevance and meaning to us. In ancient times, travel was difficult and dangerous. People didn’t take vacations to distant lands for fun. Travel was about commerce and communication, and spreading Roman culture. Travel today is still about culture, discovery, and commerce but now it also has to be fun, relaxing, and of course, safe! All these concepts and ideas related to Mercurio resonated with us, and informed the kind of experience we wanted to create for travelers to Puerto Vallarta,” said Crist.

The swimwear line was conceived in order to address several shortcomings in the swimwear market in the region. First, Crist and Barnes concur that the quality of men’s swimwear on offer is less than it could be. To address this, Mercurio Swim is producing swimwear using high-quality fabrics, and careful hand stitching. Mercurio Swim produces apparel that is stylish, well fitting, and durable. Cheaper fabrics, elastics and thread tend to break down when exposed to swimming pool chemicals, salt water, and suntan lotions. The imported Italian elastic and luxurious fabrics that Mercurio Swim use will outlast cheaper materials. Stitching is another problem with commercially produced swimwear. The precision of the stitching in the seams of the swimwear produced by Mercurio Swim ensure a long-wearing garment.

Additionally, Mercurio Swim addresses the lack of selection for larger and more mature men, by developing swim apparel to meet the needs of the mature and larger male market with stylish and durable swimwear. Mercurio Swim produces very limited numbers of any swimsuit style and fabric. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone, and we won’t make any more of that style,” said Barnes.

While Hotel Mercurio may be a small hotel, they have made a name for themselves in the LGBTQ community in Mexico, the USA and Canada. “Since 2002, we’ve hosted and befriended many thousands of LGBTQ (and other!) people. We give back to the local community and are serious about our civic responsibilities, locally, nationally and internationally,” said Crist. The staff at Hotel Mercurio and Mercurio Swim are welcoming and attentive, never losing their sense of joy, inspiration, and fun, because they believe those are the key ingredients behind the creativity in everything they do. Crist tells us, “True to our mission, the line of men’s swimwear we recently launched is about creativity, joy, inspiration, and fun in design – and exceeding expectations on quality, durability, and fit. Our attitude is confident, and our swimwear reflects that. Guys will feel good and know they look their very best in a Mercurio Swim bikini, square cut, or swim short.”

Todd Barnes, the designer and production director for the collection, recently relocated to Puerto Vallarta from New York City. With his many years in the fashion industry, including as a professor at the internationally acclaimed Parson’s School of Design, Barnes’  knowledge is extensive… from design, fitting and patterning; to the fabric cutting and hand sewing, Todd is the creative force behind the brand. Barnes tells us, “We’ve sourced beautiful, quality fabrics from the best textile mills; tried and rejected dozens of thread brands before finding the quality we demanded; and assembled an efficient, top quality workshop with excellent sewing machines and staff.”  “Our new swimwear line is also focused on exclusivity. We produce a very limited run of any fabric. So you aren’t likely to see five other guys on the beach in your swimsuit, as happens with mass-produced brands,” Crist adds.

Swimsuits at Mercurio Swim start at approximately $40 USD. Which is indeed a great price, especially considering the high quality, attention to detail, and exclusive nature of the swimsuits. Mercurio Swim aims to provide a top-quality swimsuit with excellent fit and style at a price that’s accessible to most men.

Crist and Barnes began talking about the swimwear line in November of 2017, with the design and production process of the collection starting in January 2018.  But there are literally decades of training and experience required to produce a fashion collection, and Barnes brought his extensive knowledge to the table. Crist tells us, “The designs are completely original. So it was an iterative process to get the perfect fit, then create the patterns and sizing. Sourcing fabrics and other materials takes a tremendous amount of time and knowledge. And finally, we had to begin production and have enough inventory to open, which we did at the end of May in time for Vallarta Pride. We actually accomplished all this in a very short period of time relative to industry standards, and it was pretty exhausting to do that!” Crist believes that swimsuits are, at their best, functional and fashionable athletic wear. So everything matters… the fit and the quality of construction, as well as the sense of fun and style. If you get all that right, you’ve created something that people will love to wear.

Barnes is aware of fashion trends and states, “As new designs are developed, and as trends in fashion evolve, we’ll be adding to the collection. We can’t really operate by seasons like most fashion houses do. Our season in Puerto Vallarta is year round. So new designs come out based on our inspiration and demand.” Mercurio Swim is currently working on some swim-short designs that can be worn on the street over a bikini, or as a swimsuit at the beach or pool. Swim shorts are a bit longer in the leg than a square cut swimsuit, but sexier than board shorts. Mercurio Swim believes the swim shorts will appeal to more mature or fuller figured men, but also appeal to all of their customers, regardless of their build.

Mercurio Swim is located on Lázaro Cárdenas Street #279-C, just a few doors away from the most popular Gay bars and clubs in the Gayborhood, known as the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta. Swimwear is also available in a small retail space dedicated to the collection at Hotel Mercurio (Francisca Rodriguez 168, Emiliano Zapata). Stay tuned for the launch of their online store later this year, at www.mercurioswim.com.