SwimShow Celebrates 40th Year in Miami

Mar de Lua | Photo by Betsy Zanjani

Betsy Zanjani, Contributing Writer |

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Held July 16–18 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., SwimShow drew an international fashion community ready to jump into summer as Miami heated up for this yearly fashion event.

Executive Director Judy Stein was thrilled that “finally buyers and brands from around the globe were able to return to Miami Beach to experience the industry’s most coveted weekend of style.

“The top trend we’re definitely noticing is convertibility and wearability in swim. Swimsuits are not just about swimming anymore,” Stein explained. Over the last few seasons we’ve seen this cosmic shift—now it’s a trend that appears to be here to stay.”

As traditional bodies give way to ruffled necklines, sleeves, wrap-and-ties, and halters, styles emerged that spoke directly to this growing shift. Aqua Maria brought pieces that were meant to be seen at beaches and boulevards alike, with wholesale pricing at $34 for tops and $21 for bottoms.

Banana Moon trimmedits suits with raffia and brought back crochet as this became the big story again with a ’70s revival taking hold. Bare midriffs, disco metallics, bell-bottoms, halters and velvets all have become hot and are heavily influencing swim and resort.

At Benedetta, Lina Benedettiused beautiful multicolored stitching for her collections as part of the brand’s DNA. Her ’70s Meets the Italian Riviera collection starts at $80 for tops and $72 for bottoms.

Blue by Rod Beattie was inspired by the tie-dyes of the era, creating a splash-out print with pops of color.

Buki, creator of B Fyne, brought her African culture to life. Looking to her native Nigeria, her original prints and exotic cutouts were show-stoppers. Swimwear ranged from $200 to $300 and cover-ups were priced at $649.

Embellishments such as embroidery, 3D painting and crystals were found at Baccio Couture, where Versace met Cavalli. Designer Fausto Altamirano had her mother as her muse. “I learned from her true luxury as [she was] a designer for Gianni Versace,” the Altamirano said.

Respect for the sea ran throughout as brands such as Mar de Lua showed their commitment to and love for the waters and beaches that inspire them.

MLO, designed and made in Miami, used natural buffalo horn in its SeaLife collection.

“We loved seeing that so many brands have transitioned to eco-friendly textiles, making this a very fun, creative and important show,” said Empatriz Williams, CEO of the Expressme boutique in Los Angeles.