Gimaguas is the Spanish brand that’s captivated Charli, Addison and Gabriette

In a sea of brands making flourishes of grommet-covered headbands, cupro sets and busy capris, Gimaguas has always cut above the rest. Colin Jones and Devon Lee Carlson have fronted the Spanish brand’s campaigns and Charli xcx was papped in a pair of its signature blacked out sunnies. Gimaguas bikinis and crochet dresses have become holiday must-haves while Rosalía became a full fledged member its inner circle, and Addison Rae, Lexee Smith and Gabbriette have all taken part in impromptu modelling sessions.

Gimaguas was founded by Barcelona-raised twins Claudia and Sayana Durany in 2016, first appearing on the fashion circuit two years later with its audacious graphic font and equally bold prints. It soon established itself among It girls and models as the label whose garments had a bit more sizzle to them than their rivals’.

“Gimaguas” – derived from Cuban Spanish for ​“twins”– hit a truly viral moment in the Covid summer of 2020 with their Ete dresses, which were all knitted material, halter silhouettes and contrasting colours. Two of them sit in my wardrobe and are often hauled out before you can say heatwave.

But rather than follow the (understandable) pattern of emerging brands lingering oo long on bestsellers and churning out the same thing over and over again – despite pleas for more drops and colourways – Claudia and Sayana moved, quicksmart, onto the next thing.

In 2021, a collaboration with New York-based graphic designer Tessa Forrest, titled Sublime and shot by Greek photographer Marili Andre, was loaded with polka dots and sun-strewn pieces made to complement slick, sweaty skin suggestive of long nights happy on a Miami dance floor. Paloma Elsesser and Iris Law were just two of the international It girls who embraced the collection, sharing selfies of the strikingly simple but memorable red dotted designs, reminiscent of the sun at golden hour.

Thinking back to that collab and their ongoing relationship with Andre, Sayana says that ​“we’ve always followed our intuition in terms of designing and collaborating with people. It’s important we work with the same creatives to build the brand together.” Now, almost a decade into the its existence, the 30-year-olds are rebooting Gimaguas by refining it.

“We started thinking about it in 2023, actually,” they say of this fresh, simplified chapter, which includes a newly stripped-back logo. ​“We’re not trying to change our brand identity – more shift it,” Sayana explains. ​“We want it to reflect the evolution of Gimaguas [while] mak[ing] pieces for women in their twenties – and continue creating timeless designs.”

Certainly, they’re not abandoning the vibe of last year’s mainline – corsets with rounded necklines, wedges with a slightly worn-down finish, dainty lace-trim skirts, sturdy boots made for trudging in snow. Come summer, chances are you’ll find at least one pair of Gimaguas studded pumps, an embellished dress, or a keyhole top in the wardrobe of the nearest twentysomething. And nor are the boys forgotten: the Gimaguas man encompasses checked shirts and hero pieces such as track jackets and contrasting joggers that you’d gladly steal from your boyfriend.

As signified by the accompanying campaign shot by Hart Lëshkina (the duo behind a string of Prada campaigns), this is the start of a more polished, pared-back chapter. Shot against a stark-white backdrop, models pose in minimal, muted dresses and tops. It’s a quiet reset. ​“Grounded, intimate, bare, raw, headphones on, preppy, sexy and young,” is Sayana’s take.

And this campaign is just the first of many – the sisters plan to release something each month throughout the year, drawing on their five-strong, Barcelona-based design team and manufacturing bases across Spain.

This tightly-run operation is reflected in the duo’s own roles. Sayana ​“takes care of communication and art direction”, while Claudia holds the ​“CEO and strategy” position. It’s a natural split considering their stints studying, respectively, fashion business at East London’s Istituto Marangoni and finance at Regent’s University London. Indeed, they’ve always been connected but distinct. ​“We were never the twins that dressed the same,” Sayana says. ​“Our mum never did that [to us]. Fashion has always been a way for us to distinguish ourselves.” As kids, Claudia was more of a tomboy, while Sayana enjoyed more outwardly feminine pieces.

The twins’ lifelong desire to amplify their contrasting but complementary personalities is in the DNA of their brand. ​“We were very young when we started Gimaguas [at 22] and we were not afraid of taking on projects and adventures,” Sayana says. ​“Studying in London really affected the way we thought, and we became less afraid of trying things.”

That ambition found form in ​“ephemeral” stores in New York, Los Angeles and London, and bricks-and-mortar shops in Barcelona, Madrid and Ibiza. Meanwhile, an ongoing partnership with Havaianas produced viral studded and key-adorned flip flops (and matching curveball legwarmers) which Gen Z enthusiastically replicated on TikTok. Watch this space for a fresh drop this spring.

Surely, then, Gimaguas’ designs should be seen on a fashion week runway in London, Paris, Milan or New York? Not any time soon, insist these go-their-own-way sisters. ​“Barcelona has always been very important for us,” Sayana says, speaking of the Duranys’ prioritising of their own fashion city. ​“We decided not to do shows in order to maintain our freedom and way of doing things. We believe in having proper creative breaks and taking holidays a couple of times a year.” A sentiment we surely can all get behind.