The America’s Cup could be a short cut to international business success for designer Rebecca Hanson.

For Ms Hanson’s The Authentic Bermuda Shorts (TABS) firm has been made an official licensee of the America’s Cup, which allows her to embellish her range of men’s and women’s shorts and swimwear with the event logo.

Ms Hanson said: “I’m hoping it will be big business — I’ve already noticed an uptick in business on the east coast of the United States, which is encouraging.

“But for us it’s literally just the beginning — day two.

“Potentially, this is huge over the next two years and to be associated with such a huge global brand, for a local company that’s incredible.”

She added that the firm has to go through an application process, which took some time, before approval was granted to use the coveted AC35 logo.

Ms Hanson, a former advertising executive with Ogilvy & Mather in London, who worked on car giant Ford’s European account, founded the firm just two years ago after returning home.

She launched her men’s range on Bermuda Day 2013 and has since added women’s shorts and swimwear, as well as accessories like socks and belts to the range, sold online and in stores in Bermuda and overseas.

Ms Hanson said the America’s Cup tie-up would be good, not just for TABS but for Island business as a whole.

She explained: “Now when I speak to retailers overseas, I have a bit more cachet — I say ‘the America’s Cup is in Bermuda’ and they say ‘yes, Bermuda’ and they immediately make the connection.

“Everyone knows the America’s Cup is happening — the process of people coming down here, spreading the word and the synergy between Bermuda shorts and the Island is connecting all the dots.

“The America’s Cup team have been incredibly supportive of the brand and what we have been working on.”

And she said that more products were in the pipeline as the competition builds to the climax of the finals in 2017 — although she declined to go into specifics.

Ms Hanson added: “It will take time, but for this series of events, the America’s Cup has been great at approving things quickly and giving me feedback.”

And she said: “I know there are more licensees in the pipeline — but I’m first off the blocks and that’s the way I like to be.”

Since the launch date, Ms Hanson has expanded from an online sales presence to a physical presence in AS Cooper stores in Bermuda and as far afield as the Chillax Market in Singapore.

The shorts have also been promoted in top publications like the New York Times, Conde Nast magazines, Delta’s Sky magazine and on Travel+Leisure.

The shorts have also featured in men’s style magazine GQ.

Ms Hanson got the idea for TABS when she browsed markets in Morocco offering lanterns and carpets — which got her thinking about unique Bermuda offerings.

And she decided to create the “quintessential” Bermuda shorts, not only as a viable business venture, but a way to market Bermuda culture to the world after further research and courses at the famous Central St Martin’s art school.