Today we interview Javiera Salcedo, former Olympic swimmer and current CEO of Odeclás, a premium brand specializing in sport swimsuits for training and competition. After years of experiencing high performance from the inside—competing in World Championships and the Olympic Games—Javiera decided to take a natural step: to transfer all that real experience in the water to technical design.
In this interview, she tells us how her transition from professional sports to the product world began, what mistakes she sees in women's sportswear, and why for her a swimsuit is not just about aesthetics but a key tool for physical and mental performance.
We talk about ergonomics, compression, materials, patterns, and the future of swimwear fashion, from the perspective of someone who understands the body in motion like few others.
When did you feel you wanted to move from the water to design?
When I finished my stage as a high-level swimmer and started working more closely with the product. I realized that many design decisions were not made from real experience in the water. That’s when I knew I wanted to transfer everything I had lived through competing—in World Championships and the Olympic Games—to swimsuit design.
What lessons as a swimmer did you take directly into swimsuit design?
Above all, the importance of comfort, freedom of movement, and security. A swimsuit should not be noticeable. If you notice it, something is wrong.
What do you look for in a swimsuit beyond style?
That it really works: that it supports where it needs to, follows the movement, and lets you forget about it while you swim.
What common mistakes do you see in the design of women’s sportswear?
That often aesthetics are prioritized over the real moving body. Very pretty garments are designed, but they are not well thought out for training, jumping into the water, turning, or pushing hard.
What sets apart a swimsuit designed from real sport experience and not just aesthetics?
It is designed based on how the body moves, not how it looks still.
How does ergonomics influence a swimmer’s performance?
It directly affects mental and physical comfort. If the swimsuit supports posture and the athletic gesture, the swimmer feels more stable, more secure, and more focused on the event.
What role do compression, cuts, and materials play in technical design?
They are the foundation. Compression must be functional, not restrictive; the cuts define how the garment adapts to the body in motion, and the materials determine both durability and the feel in the water.
How do you balance functionality and visual design in your collections?
I always start with function. Once the garment works well, I build the visual design on top. For me, a beautiful design that doesn’t work makes no sense in a sports product.
What does it mean to you to design for people who compete, train, or simply love to swim?
It means respecting their body and their time in the water. It doesn’t matter if they compete or not: everyone deserves a garment that makes them feel comfortable, secure, and free while swimming.
How does design change when it’s based on real sports experience?
Priorities change. More thought goes into patterns, fit, seams, and fabric behavior than into trends.
What inspires you when designing a new collection?
I’m inspired by the swimming community itself, real training sessions, and the needs I observe in the pool. Odeclás was born from noticing what fails and what can be improved.
Where do you see swimwear fashion in 5 or 10 years?
I see it much more technical, more aware of ergonomics, and with increasingly advanced materials, but also closer to real bodies and real uses.
What do you dream of achieving as a designer in the aquatic sports world?
To create a reference brand in technical swimsuits for swimming, where design comes from real experience in the water and where swimmers feel the garment was made by someone who has lived exactly what they have.
