Fashion Week Swim styles make waves in Miami Beach

The 10th season of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim shows at the Raleigh Hotel got underway Friday night.

No “Real Housewives,” Sports Illustrated models or Kardashians were in evidence, as one might expect. But, there was plenty of dash on the catwalks and styles that seemed a little-less sexy in terms of bared skin and skimpiness.

While many swimwear companies showing during the three-day round of evening shows have been around for at least a decade, some that are new (or relatively new to the industry) are hoping to make a bigger splash with their first formal shows. They’re inviting buyers and the fashion groupies who attend such events to get a glimpse of their offerings.

Maybe they’ll get a bit of buzz, with an eye toward expanding their business.

Two such players took the stage Friday: L.A.-based Clover Canyon and the 5-year-old Australian company We Are Handsome, showing collections in the runway format for the first time in Miami. In the case of We Are Handsome, the show served as the collection’s first-ever presentation in the United States.

For both collections, the focus is on digital prints. These precise, often-intricate trompe l’oeil images, featuring vivid, saturated colors, have changed the aesthetic of swimwear in recent years. It’s not just about a teeny weeny yellow polka-dot bikini or a Bond girl maillot with a plunging neckline these days. Solids and simple prints are rare on swim collection runways.

Besides the printed suits, cover-ups and other pieces shown, a noticeable move toward surfer-style and scuba details is part of the picture for the 2015 resort season. The new coverup is some form of a stretch, long-sleeved T-shirt, called a rash guard by those who hang ten on a regular basis. So much for the gauzy tunics that have been all the rage as cover-ups for the past decade.

At Clover Canyon, Brazilian-inspired prints are front and center. The sportswear company, launched just four years ago by CEO John Parros and Creative Director Rozae Nichols, has grown into a multimillion-dollar entity, with global distribution and a distinct identity. Parros cites the “artful” look of Clover Canyon’s sportswear and swimwear, along with delivery of a designer aesthetic at a “commercial” price as key to its success.

We Are Handsome’s Kantinka and Jeremy Somers don’t consider themselves fashion designers. “Swim is fun,” Jeremy Somers said, adding that the couple’s collection does have a sophistication to it. Digital prints in the collection are striking and range from boldly patterned and tinted collage-like visions to more delicate retro-style motifs. There are elements of lingerie, surf and scuba integrated into the looks, and for a little drama, some models came down the catwalk with a live python “boa” of sorts, wrapped around their shoulders.

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Worth £74k a day? World’s highest paid model Gisele smoulders for sexy …

But upon seeing these smouldering lingerie snaps, we can understand why companies are flinging cash at the model left, right and centre.

The supermodel, who has been named the highest paid clothes’ horse in the world by Forbes for the seventh year running, exposed her incredible body to promote her lingerie range, Gisele Bundchen Intimates.

The 33-year-old is going head-to-head with former employers Victoria’s Secret with her undies line, which of course, she is the name, face and body of.

Modelling several different styles from her Brazil-based collection, Gisele shows off the lean limbs and bombshell curves that made her a household name.

Even while donning the feminine “Beauty” design – a pretty pink and black lace number – the blonde oozes sex appeal and makes us all hideously jealous of her hubby Tom Brady.

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