The tents have come down, the swag bags are gone, and the free cocktails have stopped flowing. After an opening soiree on Thursday and 4 days of shows at The Raleigh Hotel, the 10th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim has sadly come to an end. Can you say fashion hangover? Going through all the photos & videos I was truly blown away by some of the shows I attended. I decided to skip all the pool parties & running around town to just plant myself at The Raleigh for 4 days in a row, and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision. I ended up meeting some fantastic new people & making a few new friends under the tents. #Bonus!
*Note: Photos below were taken by me, the others I downloaded through my Image.Net account by Getty Images. All noted below. Click on each photo to enlarge.*
Friday kicked off with high fashion at Dolores Cortes in the Cabana Grande tent. We’re talking big, chunky gold jewelry adorning the teeny ‘kinis, models in stilettos and Egyptian-like high ponytails. Pure glamour! The weather was brutal on Friday night, but we were all in it together…and we didn’t care. It was the first night and not even the crazy humidity could keep us away.
Immediately after, we rushed over to the Oasis tent to see the highly anticipated Frankie’s Bikinis by Francesca Aiello. At 19, she is the youngest designer ever to show at MBFW Swim. At 19, I was attending fraternity parties & trying to pass Sophomore Accounting, so there’s that, lol. It was monsooning outside and at one point the rain started to come through the tent, but it was well worth it. Her show was fun & playful, true to her Malibu beach babe-surfer vibe. Models strutted barefoot down the runway to energetic tunes with long flowy beach waves and raffia bracelets/anklets. I met Francesca briefly last year during Swim Week at the Salon Allure showcase at the W Hotel, so it was pretty exciting to be able to see her during her magical moment on the runway!
Next up was Wildfox, where they took us on a trip back to the 90’s. The entire tent was jamming to Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” George Michael’s “Freedom,” and other great hits. I was waiting for Vogue to start playing, but sadly it did not. So much for my Devil Wears Prada fashion moment. The Wildfox suits were cute & sporty for a younger demo. I ended the night with Beach Bunny, which was an intergalactic space odyssey. Intricate bodices, big hair and Louboutins made it feel like you were sitting front and center at a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Cue the glitter!
Saturday was a short day for me with only L*Space and Mikoh…wasn’t feeling well so had to cut out of the festivities early. 😦 L*Space did not disappoint with their water runway, pearl accents and mermaid tresses. Mikoh began with traditional Hawaiian luau dancers before their island-worthy suits strutted out to the runway.
But Sunday….Sunday was my absolute favorite day! 4 shows were on the roster for me: Belusso, Luli Fama, Suboo and last but not least… my personal favorite….. 6 Shore Road. There is something magical about seeing one of your favorite brands in person. Last year I also had the honor of meeting Pooja & her team at the Salon Allure showcase at the W Hotel and attending the show, but this year was extra special. This year 6 Shore Road was in the main Cabana Grande tent and I had a great seat to view all the action. Sunday is getting its own post, that’s how amazing it was… Stay tuned to part 2 of my Swim Week coverage tomorrow! Check out the collage below of some of my fav snapshots of the weekend!
~xo~ label avenue
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