Written and photographed by Baille Gelwicks. Edited by Lais Lacher.
More photos below.
Miami, here I come!!!
Or so I thought. After arriving at the airport at 6:30 pm and being notified of a three-hour flight delay, I decided to take this time to do my research on the designers I was about to see at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim the weekend of July 20th. After finally being allowed to board, we settled into our tightly packed seats. Our excitement to finally be on our way was short lived with an announcement that we had to off-load the plane due to a bird that was stuck in the engine! Already five hours after our designated departure, it was going to take an additional two hours to clean the feathers out of the engine before we could take-off. When all was said and done, we were Miami bound after an eight and a half hour delay. Spirit Airlines on my never-again list, I was just ready to see some serious swimwear!
With a good night’s sleep and proper Miami style fish tacos for lunch, I was fueled for a night of fashion. Unlike New York Fashion Week, shows are only from 6pm-10pm instead of 9am-9pm. Not being in the city that never sleeps, I was prepared for a pretty low-key evening. Rule Number One — an evening during Fashion Week — let alone in South Beach — is never low key.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim (Miami) is unlike Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (New York) in another way as well — organization. Instead of scanning a QR code on your credentials to print your tickets for the evening’s shows, you have to wait in line before the show starts to get your seat assignment. Then back over to another line to wait again to get inside the tent. I’m sure you can imagine the congestion that is created with back-to-back shows. With no time in between shows to do anything else but stand in line, I was left to stare longingly at the delicious watermelon cocktails at the complimentary bar across the way. Rule Number Two — hydrate.
A light schedule on the first day was perfect for getting acquainted with how MBFWSWIM would run. My first show was in the Oasis tent. Directly on the beach, a sandy floor proved to be an interesting task for those in heels. Poko Pano was full of bright colors and incredibly wearable designs. Kudos to Paola Robba for creating a collection that your everyday citizen could wear to your everyday beach. Although we all wish we could live in the dream world of South Beach, reality sets in when you return home and you realize that your crochet Brazilian bikini bottoms would have looked better lounging in that glamorous poolside cabana rather than wading in the ocean at Seacrets beach in Ocean City. Note to self – must buy a pair of beach pants. My second show of the night was Dolores Cortés, where I was happy to see a good mix of beach dresses amongst an array of bathing suits. With an hour to kill before my last show of the night, I hopped from vendor to vendor enjoying free give-aways like Smashbox make-up, TRESemmé hair products and Ipanema flip-flops. My evening ended with Beach Bunny Swimwear. This line gets the award for most enjoyable show. The models brought energy to the runway and weren’t afraid to just have fun. Let’s face it, there is only so much you can do with a minimal amount of fabric, so if you are going to set yourself apart here, you better amp up the entertainment factor. Designer Angela Chittenden had no problem doing that. With bubbly models and a line inspired by lingerie, she will always make an impression. After tackling day one with the greatest of ease, I made the mistake of thinking the rest of swim week was going to be a breeze. Rule Number Three – refer to rule number one.
Day two started off with brunch and a relaxing afternoon on the beach. I couldn’t NOT find an opportunity to rock a bathing suit during Swim Week! Feeling bronzed and beautiful I got ready and headed back to The Raleigh Hotel to begin yet another night full of scantily clad fashion. My schedule was as follows:
6pm Nicolita
7pm Aqua Di Lara
8pm Mara Hoffman
10pm Mara Hoffman after party
Favorite show of the night went to Mara Hoffman. Princess of prints, Ms. Hoffman also made sure her models were accessorized from head to toe. When I left the show I wanted the shoes, the triceps bangles and the multi-colored tasseled hair pieces — if only I still had my long hair. Running from show to show to show, exhausted, dinnerless and still without a cocktail, the obvious thing to do with an hour to kill before the after party was to get a free manicure of course. You can eat when you get home, drink at the after party, and sleep when you’re dead. While preparing to head to the Mara Hoffman after party I heard buzz about a “pool top” fashion show at the same time that sounded like the perfect end to Swim Week – the cherry on top of my mojito. I had two options: go to the party I was guaranteed to get into, or take a chance and go to the pool top fashion show. I decided to take the risk and head to the fashion show. I approached the party with a confident attitude and the rest is history. Was it worth it? Completely. Sitting poolside at a fashion show on top of the water was the ultimate swim week experience. Rule Number Four — change your plans, rules were meant to be broken.
The third and last day was going to be the busiest of them all, so brunch at a beachfront restaurant was just what I needed to fuel and cool before the night began. Six shows, all back to back and a backstage interview had me running around until 11pm. Luli Fama stole show of the night at the Cabana Grande tent with a seductive Bachata performance on the runway to introduce their line.
Over a course of three days and a total of 12 runway shows, it is clear that the emerging trend in swimwear is the high-waisted bikini. Hello Marilyn Monroe body types and pin-up beauties alike. Next season is for you! After a “gourmet” fast food burger for dinner, I was home to pack in preparation for a 5am wake-up call for the next morning’s flight. How many hours will I be delayed this time? The hardest part of the trip was not waiting in the lengthy check-in lines or even the heat; it was trying to pack all of the swag bag goodies into my suitcase. I may have started out with a suitcase that had room to spare, but I left with a suitcase that was filled to the brim. Thank goodness for a large purse, it was needed for the overflow. Rule Number Five — always bring a bigger suitcase.
+ VIEW MORE SWIM RUNWAY PHOTOS HERE
So stunning. I miss this! Great encapsulation of the event. 🙂
xx
http://www.vidasoleil.com
Thanks Kara!