Fashion Week Swim Miami is fast becoming one of the hottest events around the sun-kissed Miami Beach. While other popular events are normally held in the peak winter season (November - May), this eye candy event is a treat for locals that come out in full force in the off season.

Similar to other beach events, one hotel anchors the main show and a growing constellation of satellite hotels feature ancillary highlights. In this case, the iconic Raleigh Hotel (famous for its shapely pool) once again served as headquarters for Swim Week and undulated to neighboring hot spot hotels like Soho Beach Club, the W Hotel and the Setai.

Raleigh Hotel Pool

As a blogger I was invited to a couple of shows including one invite-only event where the bikini goes green. Yes the bathing suit industry is embracing the environmental movement while maintaining its sexiness.

In only a few short years, Swim Week is bursting at the seams with an official lineup of 25 major international designers, including six labels this year, and elongating the event to five full days.

For ladies who love the latest fashion, Swim Week offers a sea shell collection of new designs and styles and colors.

The runways were brimming plunging necklines, cut-out maillots, one-shouldered styles and a sprinkling of bathing skirts. Add to that, lots of bikinis, with plenty of crochet, fringe and ruffles detailing, rope and leather belts and ribbon-like strings. Both tops and bottoms were accented with hardware, from Diesel’s denim-inspired leather straps to Luli Fama’s gold butterflies and coins and bejeweled broaches.

Animal prints, a designer favorite, were omnipresent, both in natural hues and re-interpreted in bold colors. In a nod to bohemian chic, one designer mixed leopard and floral separates and showed a blue leopard string bikini with pink trim and a cropped tee. Inca, the Miami Beach-based brand by Stacy Josloff, showed flowing cheetah print dresses. And designer Liliana Montoya, who showed at Funkshion, used tiger and zebra patterns.

True to Miami, as if barely clad bodies were not risqué enough, many of the designers showed swimwear that blurred the lines between the beach and the bedroom. Eco Swim featured a “teddy” looking bathing suit. Or was it? Speaking of lingerie, Beach Bunny Swimwear even introduced a bridal swimwear collection, fashioned with hand-beaded pearls, Chantilly lace and Swarovski crystals. And then there was the super feminine corset as shown in the collections of Poko Pano and L Space.

To enjoy a brief view of this hot event, see the video below.

The first video is of the AguaClara swimwear brand (which means “clear water” in Spanish).




Next is the Luli Fama Line.  Love the last bathing suit with the coverup and fedora hat! It's all about the accessories! Do they make them waterproof yet? Now there's a thought!




Fashion Week Swim Miami is held annually in July.

To view my choice to be added to my treasure  trove of bathing suits, visit my personal blog http://www.aboutchristinemichaels.com/

To view photos of the first sustainable swimwear show, click here.