Miami Brings International Beach Flavor to the Runway

The Beach Boys, John Stamos and Jessica Simpson—Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami Swim beefed up its show lineup this season with more celebrities, more shows and splashier events. Now in its third season, the event, produced by IMG, has become a platform for national and international designers to showcase their swim and beachwear collections on the runway. Past seasons’ lineups have included iconic names in swimwear such as Israel-based Gideon Oberson, Brazil-based Rosa Chaacute; and New York–based Norma Kamali.

This season’s July 10–14 run featured 16 designers with a comprehensive lineup from around the world. Jacquelyne Love kicked off the event with her Bella Mar Swim and E Label collections while hubby Mike Love and The Beach Boys performed a concert for the opening-night party. Other designers included one of Brazil’s most popular brands, Cia. Mariacute;tima, Sydney-based Zimmermann and Milan-based Miss Bikini. Parke & Ronen showcased its menswear collection, and Badgley Mischka, Jessica Simpson and True Religion launched their swim collections. Miami-based Red Carter, California-based Shay Todd and Becca all showed in Miami for the third time.

The timing of the runway shows coincided with the Swimwear Association of Florida’s SwimShow. Designers sold their collections at the trade show during the day and presented them on the runway in the evening.

Miami’s historic The Raleigh hotel housed a variety of runways, including two traditional fashion-show tents, an informal stage alongside the pool and a sand-covered runway right on the beach.

Large-scale runway events are familiar territory to IMG, which also produces Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York; Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif.; and its newest event, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Fern Mallis, senior vice president of IMG Fashion, attributes much of the show’s success to the nature of the event––the sex appeal of the category and the overall atmosphere created in Miami Beach. “The hotels, the pools, the beach—all of this just screams swimwear in Miami,” she said. “It supports the whole concept of what we’re trying to get across, which is fabulous, hot bathing suits.”

Miami show organizers are hoping the roster of designer shows will continue to grow, but Mallis said they would prefer not to add more days to the show. She said she feels growth could be accommodated by maxing out their venue space, doing more informal events and by starting the shows an hour earlier. But even if the show expands, Mallis promised it would still maintain its fun, relaxed ambiance. “We want people to enjoy being down here and not feel like it’s an absolute killer business trip,” she said. “People go back with a much better sentiment. They got their work accomplished, but their whole attitude about what they saw is much more positive. The whole [beach] lifestyle is what’s being sold here on the runway.” —N. Jayne Seward