Our Story

Eleven years ago, in a small shop within an art gallery in Playa del Carmen—with just enough space for a few bikinis and accessories—the story of Sandmade began. What started as an intimate project has today found its own place as a Mexican swimwear and beachwear brand, building a creative universe that speaks of freedom, body, and sensibility.

During our conversation with Josune Abascal and Alfonso Canibano, the brand's founders, it became clear that Sandmade didn't start as a grand business plan, but as a deeply personal endeavor. "I moved to Playa del Carmen at 20 with a very clear idea: I wanted to have my own business," Josune shares. "After a few years of working and saving, I decided to bet everything on that dream." And so it all began.

What is now one of the most distinctly identified Mexican beachwear proposals originated from something much simpler, yet also more powerful. "It was born from the desire to create something of my own, to build a life near the sea, and to design a bikini brand that truly resonated with me." Sandmade is, in many ways, an extension of its creators' lives. Josune and Alfonso met and, from the beginning, shared the same drive: to undertake. "We were always aligned in building something together, from scratch," they say.

The dynamic between them has been key to the brand's growth. While Alfonso focuses on the strategic and financial aspects, Josune moves from intuition and creativity. "We complement each other a lot. He is very analytical and strategic, focused on numbers; I am much more creative, intuitive, and visionary. This mix has been key for Sandmade to exist today."

To speak of Sandmade is to speak of a way of inhabiting the body that is light, confident, and in motion. The brand was born in Playa del Carmen, and that emotional geography is still present in everything they do. "Sandmade comes from the freedom felt at the beach, from art, from fashion... from a lifestyle."

What began with bikinis and a few accessories naturally expanded into new pieces, collections, and proposals. Over time, certain designs have become an essential part of the brand's DNA, especially their basic bikinis: known for their clean construction, made with soft and comfortable fabrics, with UV protection and quick-drying technology.

More than designing for a profile, Sandmade designs for a feeling. For an energy. "It's designed for women who want to feel free; women who connect with their body, with their sensuality, and with their confidence." For Josune, finding bikinis she truly felt comfortable in wasn't always easy, and that experience ended up shaping the brand's design philosophy. "We care deeply about how the garment feels on the body. Not just how it looks. We test, adjust, change... until it truly feels good." That's evident in every piece. That's where the brand truly defines itself.

The creative process has also evolved over time. Before, everything was more artisanal and intuitive: sourcing fabrics, developing pieces by hand, working entire days to create a single garment. Today there is a much more structured process, with a more complete team, but the care remains the same. "Not long ago, I did everything with a seamstress. We would go for fabrics and the inspiration would come from there. We worked entire days to produce a single garment. It was a completely artisanal process."

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Sandmade is that it never tried to fit into a mold. It wasn't born as a perfect formula or with grand structures. It grew through trial and error, attending to stores, understanding its customers, and trying again. "For many years, everything passed through my hands. We did absolutely everything. That changes the way you see a brand because we understand the product from all angles: from how it's designed to how it feels when someone tries it on."

In the midst of an increasingly saturated market, Sandmade has found its distinction in the essential. "We have a very wide range of bikinis, from very small cuts to fuller ones, in over 35 colors," they explain. "But beyond that, it's the attention, the quality, and the essence." There is also a clear intention behind their most recent collections. "Today, our collections are more creative, limited pieces with a lot of intention behind them."

The journey, however, has not been easy. "We went through all areas of the company, working day and night without stopping," they share. "There were moments of great uncertainty, of anxiety... and even then, we continued to bet everything on this project." Sustaining that vision, even in the most uncertain times, has been one of the biggest challenges. "I think the hardest part has been maintaining that vision in moments where the outcome wasn't clear."

Today, the future of Sandmade is built with the same clarity with which it began: from the intuition, emotion, and creative processes of its founders, two people who chose the sea, chose each other, and decided that was enough of a foundation to build something real. Eleven years later, the brand remains exactly that: both real and dreamlike; something that in fashion, is often difficult to achieve.