Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, the annual designer swim and beachwear extravaganza, the simultaneous SwimShow 2011 trade show at the nearby Miami Beach Convention Center, and a growing number of satellite shows offered a wide-angle look at how next year's beaches will be dressed, or in some cases, undressed.
``There is a great energy in Miami. The designers and buyers take this week very seriously,'' said Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, one of the founders of Gilt.com , an invitation-only, luxury e-commerce site. ``This is the place to come to get your pulse on the business.''
The business has exploded to include the official lineup of 20 shows over four days -- one day more than 2009 -- based mostly at the Raleigh Hotel; independent private showcases and at least three new satellite shows -- Mod Swim Week, Funkshion Swim Shows and Salon Allure -- collectively showcasing established and emerging swim labels, including Miami-based Red Carter, Luli Fama and Betsy Moss, along with Ed Hardy, Lisa Blue, Caffé Swim and Tyler Rose.
In tents, oceanview cabanas and rooftops; poolside, and even at an art museum, designers offered a broad collection of bikinis, monokinis, one-pieces, rompers, harem pants, flowing sundresses, breezy caftans and cover-ups that were almost too elegant for sun and sand. The runways were also filled with so many interesting accessories -- elbow-high chunky bangles and gloves, stovepipe hats, tulle skirts and mod shades -- that the actual swimwear often felt beside the point.
Most every designer indulged in global prints (Luli Fama showed suits printed with maps of the Caribbean), snakeskin, metallic hardware, abstract cutouts, something dipped in gold and something rocked out with studs, rhinestones or ruffles.
Some designers found inspiration in exotic locales: Benny Rosset, the designer for CIA.Marítima, turned to the vibrant markets of Morocco; Lisa Maree Boersma, the designer of Lisa Maree, went to her home, Australia's Bondi Beach. Crystal Jin Eley's line reflected New York circa Studio 54.
The swimsuit fest kicked off Thursday with a runway show from Trina Turk, the Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer, who featured a stunning collection called Acapulco Gold. Inspired by the jetset Mexican resort, the line pulled from a palette of citron, fuchsia and violet and included one-piece bandeaus, bikinis and sash hipsters embellished with gold and turquoise stone hardware; shimmering chiffon caftans and silk tunics. Mr. Turk, a new menswear resortwear collection, also made its debut.
``With Acapulco Gold, we were inspired by the glamour of the 1970s,'' Turk says, ``so we used a lot of vintage jewelry and a lot of prints and colors.''
Mara Hoffman's mystical global adventures inspired this year's collection of ethnic and tribal prints. Among the standouts: Jasmine, an Amazonian embroidered monokini with beaded straps, and Shelby, a hot-pink embroidered dashiki and batik leggings.
Perhaps the most hyped show -- because that's how it is with a certain set of reality star sisters -- was by Beach Bunny Swimwear. Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, seated front row, designed some of the show's suits, which, not surprisingly, oozed sex appeal.
From: http://www.miamiherald.com/
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