IMG’s Sunglass Hut Swim Shows showcase fashion-forward labels in a fast-growing swim market.
Swim’s march to full-fledged fashion category continues with the second edition of the Sunglass Hut Swim Shows Miami presented by Lycra.
The event, which is overseen by fashion show producer IMG Fashion, will be held July 15-18 in Miami at the Raleigh Hotel and will showcase swim looks for cruise 2007, which will begin hitting stores in late October and early November.
“There is tremendous interest in swimwear now,” said Fern Mallis, vice president and executive director of IMG, which also sponsors the 7th on Sixth runway shows in New York and other fashion events around the world. “People are moving to warmer climates and traveling more, and they need resort clothes all year long.”
The Sunglass Hut fashion shows run concurrently with SwimShow 2007, the annual swimwear trade show held at the nearby Miami Beach Convention Center, and are held at night so that visitors can attend both events without conflict.
Mallis said some of the locations for the event at the Raleigh Hotel have been tweaked since last year. There are now three venues: the Cabana Grande, the Beachway and the Oasis. The Cabana Grande and the Beachway are traditional tents, similar to the ones used in Bryant Park during the New York runway shows, while the Oasis is a large clear tent in the sand with a raised runway.
Among the brands scheduled for runway presentations this year are Rosa Cha, Inca, Red Carter, Becca, Gideon Oberson, Shay Todd, Norma Kamali and a group show presented by Lycra, which will feature brands including Carmen Marc Valvo, Juicy Couture, DKNY, Betsey Johnson and Reebok.
There are also a number of new sponsors, including jewelry firm Judith Ripka and Continental Airlines, Mallis said. During the event, sponsors will display their wares at poolside cabanas.
Mallis said interest in the swim show continues to grow, and that IMG’s goals are to bring more fashion designers, media attention and sponsors to the event. This year, the Raleigh is planning a big party the night before the shows begin, and event organizers have linked up with local clubs such as Mynt to help promote the event. In addition, all the shows are being filmed and will be available for viewing on msn.com.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
The buildup of the Sunglass Hut Swim Shows comes at a time when more designers and apparel brands are getting into the business, and swimwear has become more of a year-round fashion category. Betsey Johnson and Reebok recently entered the category, and Carmen Marc Valvo, Michael Kors and Juicy Couture are relatively new in swimwear.
Rosa Cha, the Brazilian label known for its sexy styles, has long shown its swimwear at fashion shows in its home country and also in New York. Rosa Cha owner and designer Amir Slama said he likes presenting on the catwalk because it is a way to show the collection together in one unified statement. The company is no longer showing Rosa Cha in Brazil, opting instead to present in New York and Miami. The company’s secondary line, Sais, will still be shown in Brazil, Slama said.
This season, inspiration comes from “a legend of a sleepy princess who wakes up in Brazil in the middle of the World Cup and becomes captivated with all the excitement,” Slama said. The line includes lingerie-influenced swimwear items mixed with athletic and soccer-inspired looks. Among the silhouettes are string bikinis, T-shirts cut into bikini tops, tiny Ts and T-shirt dresses. The color palette includes off-white, navy blue, pink and green.
Inca, the swimwear brand now making a variety of lifestyle products, will showcase its new swim looks and accessories on the runway.
“I wanted to show in Miami because it represents our brand in the best way possible,” said Inca designer and owner Stephanie Hirsch. “We want to show who we are in a fun way.”
This season, Hirsch said she was inspired by the desert and is looking at the fusion of the sea and the sand. She said the collection includes rich colors and prints, as well as embroidery, and has less beading than in seasons past.
Inca will also show some men’s items on the runway, as well as a selection of resortwear items and accessories, including a beach tote bag.
Red Carter is also among the brands that will strut their stuff at the Raleigh. The Miami-based designer is known for his vintage prints and quirky designs. This season, the four-year-old label took inspiration from “rockabilly bad girls,” as well as bohemian and ethnic themes from India and other locales, Carter said.
“I am also doing a cutesy good-girl thing with eyelets and gingham and happy colors,” he added. Carter said he has “pulled away a little from embellishments,” but has incorporated more handicraft looks with hand embroidery and crocheted edging. “I have also expanded my range of silhouettes and am touching on the tankini and also doing one-pieces,” he said.
“It’s a childhood dream for me to a show on a runway,” the designer added. “I love being able to show in Miami, my hometown.”
Lycra, one of the event’s sponsors, is again holding a group show, and more than 25 brands will be featured, said Dianne Lober, the marketing and communications manager for swim at Lycra’s parent company, Invista.
Among the 25 brands that will be shown at the group event are Anne Cole, Betsey Johnson and Calvin Klein. “We are showing looks from swim companies which use our Xtra Life Lycra fabric,” she said. Xtra Life was introduced last year and is designed to reduce bagging and provide a lasting fit. The fabric has continued to gain momentum in the industry, with more companies using it this year than last, Lober added.
This year, the Lycra brand is also celebrating the 60th anniversary of the bikini, and it teamed up with Assouline to produce “The Bikini Book,” which looks at the history of the bikini and was written by socialite and fashion editor Kelly Bensimon. In connection with the yearlong celebration, Bensimon will host the Lycra fashion show in Miami this year.
This article appeared in WWD Swim, a special supplement to WWD available to subscribers.