British burkini sales ‘more than double’ despite French bans Burkini sales are soaring in the UK, despite the swimwear being banned at several beaches in France this summer. Shorso, which supplies […]

Burkini sales are soaring in the UK, despite the swimwear being banned at several beaches in France this summer.

Shorso, which supplies a selection of burkini-style swimwear to House of Fraser, told the i sales had “more than doubled” during the summer, and that they were looking to expand their range.

National swimwear firm Zoggs also noticed a jump in purchases, while specialist sportswear manufacturer Modestly Active said they had seen a “notable” increase across Europe.

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Double bubble

Ismail Sacranie, Head of Sales at Marketing at Modestly Active, said while a jump in sales during the summer was to be expected, increased publicity from the bans the had also helped.

“There’s been a lot more awareness,” he added. “We’ve had emails from France, Germany, the USA, Russia, all saying we’re doing a marvellous job.”

“More and more people are finding us, our reputation has grown”.

Nothing new

Despite the current debate surrounding the swimwear, which covers more of the body than a traditional suit, the garment is nothing new.

While Mr Sacranie stressed they weren’t a massive company, he claims they’ve grown year on year since launching ten years ago.

Jessica Robinson, CEO at Shorso, also said they’d consistently grown their range since launching in 2012. They now sell more than 15,000 burkinis a year.

‘Narrow minded’

Speaking of the bans in French towns such as Nice, Mr Sacranie said: “The general public can see that they are being narrow minded and creating more separation.

“At the end of the day if our product is appealing to a woman and she’s wearing it of her own free choice, no one should dictate what she’s wearing”

Ismail Sacranie

“People are saying Muslim women should integrate – but when they do there’s massive hurdles.

“At the end of the day, if our product is appealing to a woman and she’s wearing it of her own free choice, no one should dictate what she’s wearing.”

Similarly, Ms Robinson added women should “have a choice to wear whatever they feel comfortable in”.

“We embrace diversity in the fashion industry and think if a product encourages a customer to be active, that should be welcomed.

Latest technology

Despite many associating the swimwear with religion, Mr Sacranie says as many as 35% of customers pick the garment for other reasons such as sun protection.

He also counts celebrity chef Nigella Lawson among his customers.

“Many people don’t understand the technical features of our products,” he added:

“Our products are specifically made to make sure it’s lightweight and doesn’t weigh people down in the water, or stick to you when you get out.

“It’s very technically made with UV protection, sea salt resistance and chlorine resistance.”