Miami Swim Week 2016, officially kicked off on Thursday, July 16, at the Funkshion tent located on Collins Avenue, diagonal to the W Hotel.
The front of the tent is covered in green leaves and holds a lighted sign that reads, “FUNKSHION.”
Inside the tent there is a lounge where guests can enjoy coconut water or drinks and take pictures with their outfits, because what is Miami Swim Week all about, if it doesn’t include the “trendiest” styles and wardrobe combos?
Around 8 p.m., the first official designer to grace the Funkshion tent’s catwalk, was Liliana Montoya, who bases her line from Miami, but manufactures the products in her native country, Colombia.
The inspirations for her most recent swimsuit collection came from a place in Atlantis called “Mermaids of Atlantis.”
“This is the reason that we are bringing in the new concept; to be inspired on air, on water, on the different elements that the air brings, and at the end you’re gonna see a lot of colors and you’re gonna see the senses from the air,” Montoya said. “You have oranges. You have reds. You have purples, and then you start seeing the colors of water: blue, purple and then you finish this amazing journey at the sun with golds, sequins, blacks and solid swimsuits.”
Backstage, models sprinted from wardrobe, to hair and then to make-up. There were makeup artists and hair stylists scattered everywhere working their magic with their curling irons and hair-sprays. The show was running over an hour and a half behind, and the designers were stressed.
The Art Hearts Fashion show began at 9:30 p.m.,with swimwear from Erik Rosete, who showcased his collection titled, “Vortex.”
“It’s a crazy, trippy, retrofusion, “Barbarella” inspired bikini line that I’m debuting here in Miami,” Rosete said.
The designs in fact were very heavy on metallics. Both gold and silver were seen on the bikinis, one-pieces, speedos, and beach cardigans.
Koco Blaq followed with a collection of tribal and Hawaiian inspired designs. Then the Brazilian line, “Ca-Rio-Ca Swim, made an entrance with two capoeira dancers and two samba dancers, wearing traditional Brazilian Carnaval outfits.
Finally followed Furne One, who shocked everybody with his unique, over-the-top designs.
“I wouldn’t even wear that to the beach. I’d wear that to the club,” said Lia Mira, who was sitting first row in the audience.
The Dubai based designer, offered a collection that was anything but minimalistic. It divided into five categories of only solid colored one-pieces or pairs: red, black, white, gold and silver were the only colors featured. Every piece was made in high-end laced couture and loaded in sequins.
Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Shakira, Nicole Scherzinger, Beyoncé, Amber Rose and Nicki Minaj are among the many A-list customers of Furne one.
The evening then lead to the SLS Hotel for a show featuring Peroni emerging designers, and after that it was afterparties, drinking and everything fun that Miami is known for.
