Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, held July 17 to 21 at the Raleigh hotel, marked its 10th anniversary this year with fresh takes on its signature swimwear shows as well as sponsor activations and lounges.
At the July 17 opening bash, the theme was all things 10. A centerpiece was 10 custom C-Class Mercedes-Benz vehicles, each painted by swimsuit designers including Mara Hoffman, Carmen Marc Valvo, Nanette Lapore, and Jeremyville, who also created the signature 10th anniversary pattern for the overall event signage. All 10 designers also created matching kaftans for the occasion, which were modeled on platforms over a pool illuminated with LED balls.
On the seventh floor of the Raleigh, the Esther Williams Suite again held the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, a V.I.P. retreat open throughout Swim Week. Event designer Bronson van Wyck transformed the space with a palette of jewel tones including magenta, emerald, citrine, and sapphire. Rich textures including silk, the Carerra marble bar, brass, bone inlay, woven cowhide rugs, potted palms, coral peonies, brass pelican accessories, mirror consoles, and a mid-century brass chandelier merged different genres and eras into one cohesive vision. “It’s important to mix styles and periods with confidence, so that it doesn’t come off as one-note,” said van Wyck. Restaurant Michael Schwartz catered the lounge, providing a range of snacks, bite-size hors d’oeuvres, and desserts, including crispy hominy, falafel, grilled polenta, fig flatbread, mini doughnuts, and pot de crème.
As part of the larger Miami Swim Week, media, beauty, and fashion brands sponsored their own activations and events. At the Allure Lounge Miami at Hyde Beach in the SLS South Beach, Shiseido’s sunblock station was popular in peak afternoon hours. Attendees rested in the shade propped up on accent pillows from Ronen Rental in seaside shades of ocean blue, nautical stripes, and ocean-inspired Ikat.
Metallic Flash Tattoo applications were a popular activity at several events. Pretty Beachy’s swimsuit pop-up at the Escape Lounge Miami at the National Hotel offered them, as did the Impanema cabana at the Raleigh, where a team of temporary tattoo artists saw the heaviest foot traffic of any leading sponsor, offering a dozen different designs. On Monday night, designer Liliana Montoya had her models sport gold-and-silver heart-shaped metallic tattoos—her logo is a heart—to round out her show’s feminine “Mermaids” theme.
One thing that remains true of the Swim Week event roster is its exclusivity. Web retailer Asos employed a word-of-mouth technique to invite guests to its event, ditching social media and electronic invitations.
Headbuds hosted a D.I.Y. flower crown table, which was a popular hands-on activity at the Escape Miami Style Lounge at the National Hotel on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday night, the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers, the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association, and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency introduced the "Brasil Beyond" campaign at Soho Beach House. Industry insiders could peruse new styles displayed outside at Soho Beach House’s Cecconi’s restaurant. The menu included caipirinhas and Brazilian cuisine.
Shapewear company Spanx offered rides around South Beach in a vehicle cheekily dubbed the Spanx Lift. It provided transportation between Swim Week host venue the Raleigh and the W Hotel.
The Brazilian brand Poko Pano presented its collection at the Raleigh, where guests sat poolside and models strutted through the water around the pool's perimeter.
At Style Saves Swim, a charity fashion show, designer Trina Turk created custom ice buckets. About 500 people attended the Friday event at Soho Beach House.
Guests posed in photo booth provided by Barry’s Bootcamp.
Closing out Swim Week on Monday night, fashion and swimwear brand Amuse Society, Tori Praver Swimwear, Cheyann Benedict, Samudra, and Surf Bazaar hosted an intimate rooftop cocktail party at Soho Beach House’s Ocho. Pink neon signage by Miami’s Bulldog Neon provided decor for the event, which overlooked the Atlantic Ocean.
Guests could model pairs of Mia Shoes while posing for illustrated portraits at the National’s Escape Miami Style Lounge. Miami fashion blogger Annie Vazquez of the Fashion Poet hosted the event.
Italia Independent and Peroni teamed up to create special edition sunglasses for Swim Week. The shades were on display at the Don’t Worry Baby Swim Week Edition party at Mondrian Sunday afternoon. Guests perused sunglasses and cooled down with Kryo Ice Pops from Kryogenifex.
Designed by Bronson van Wyck of Van Wyck & Van Wyck, the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge inside the Esther Williams suite in the Raleigh had a tropical feel. “It’s important to mix styles and periods with confidence, so that it doesn’t come off as one-note,” van Wyck said.
In the lounge, drapes from Manuel Canovas and fabric designed by Cotan & Tout gave the space a vibrant look.
At the official kick-off party at the Raleigh, models wore kaftans that matched 10 Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicles, which were custom designed by swimsuit designers to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim.
Balloon Express constructed a floating, multicolored balloon display for Wildfox in the Boulan South Beach pool.
SusyPops created a custom dessert display for the Wildfox Pool Party, complete with cake pops in the form of bikinis, beach balls, and palm trees.
Reviv Wellness provided an oxygen bar for guests at the Wildfox Pool Party as a respite from the heat.
Models at LSpace by Monica Wise were styled to look as if they had emerged from the water, with wet hair, pearls crowning their heads, and scale-like tattoos from Flash Tattoos. The show's theme was "the Water is Waiting," and the label ordered a custom decal with a splash pattern for the runway at the Raleigh.
Ronen Rental provided decorative pillows to complement signage at Allure Lounge Miami at Hyde Beach at SLS South Beach.
Gucci hosted a social media contest at Hyde Beach’s Allure Lounge Miami, encouraging guests to pose with a pair of sunglasses and post the images to Instagram. The winner received a pair of shades from the luxury brand.
The lounge included a number of express beauty treatments, including makeup applications and a manicure station from Covergirl. There also was a Shiseido SPF Foundation application bar and eyebrow shaping from Tweezerman.
Indie electro band Hearts Revolution performed at the No Lifeguard on Duty runway show and after-party at Soho Beach House on Saturday. The musical act followed runway presentations from Jacques Smith & Bianca Coletti.
At the after-party, sponsored by Desperados, guests wore silly sunglasses and were given fans marked with the event's #SeizetheNight hashtag.
The PR firm Tara Ink. featured five emerging designers at its 2015 Capsule Collection Runway Show at Soho Beach House on July 17. Models strutted over a simple runway atop the center of the pool while each designer's logo was displayed on a moderately sized LED flat screen, keeping with the event’s minimalist theme.
Beach Bunny hosted a kickoff soiree at the Fontainebleau Hotel's Sorrento Suite on Thursday, an event sponsored by coconut water vodka brand VoCo. The suite overlooking the ocean was decorated with beach balls and towels with the brand's logo. The new ready-to-pour spirit provided a make-your-own swag bag station, where guests could fill branded knapsacks with sunglasses, wristbands, and muscle tees.
