Caffé Spring/Summer 2013 Swimwear

Caffe’s 2013 Spring/Summer collection was a perfect mix of high fashion meets swimwear. Caffe’s designer Paula Saavedra was obviously influenced by her Colombian heritage as colorful swimsuits and glamorous caftans graced the runway. 

One of my favorite pieces was the below caftan which literally flowed down the runway as the statuesque model walked by. You can easily transition from a day at the pool to a night event with a simple mini black dress underneath.

About:
Caffe a Colombian luxury woman's beachwear line born in 2004, has since developed into an international stylish brand present in the best stores in more than 38 countries.
Caffe Swimwear is best known for elevating beachwear to high fashion status with its chic, sexy and undeniable stylish swimwear for women that love to glam their beach wardrobe.

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Kooey Australia Spring/Summer 2013 Swimwear

Miss USA Olivia Culpo and me

The Kooey Australia Spring/Summer 2013 presentation took place at the gorgeous Raleigh Hotel penthouse during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim. Designed by Nikki Silverthorne, the new collection featured beautiful tailored pieces in a selection of colors like pink, blue, teal, orange, purple and black. During the presentation the room was buzzing with sun-kissed guests who mingled and indulged in a sampling of complimentary cheese, crackers, fruit and cocktails. One of the guests was the lovely Miss USA Olivia Culpo whom I had a chance to meet.

One of my favorites from the new 2013 collection was the below teal bikini with tie-dye like bottoms. I love the color combination for this piece and how it shows just enough skin. Generally the whole collection focused on similar body flattering looks. 

About:
Designed and made in Western Australia, Kooey is an entirely Australian owned and operated swimwear label. Fully 'home grown', the label is also inspired by Australia.Each season Kooey's design team, Nikki Silverthorne and Charlene Harmer focus on a specific area of the Australian landscape. Featuring bold styles and striking colors, each collection includes one pieces, bikinis and separates as well as resort wear.

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NICOLITA Spring/Summer 2013 Swimwear

NICOLITA’s Spring/Summer 2013 "Havana Nights Collection" brought audiences back to Cuba’s sexy 1940’s era. The show opened with a girl and boy model dressed in old school sailor swimsuits.

Guests watched in awe as models paraded down the runway with pin-up styled hair and jaw-dropping swimwear. What made this collection extra special was designer Nicole Di Rocco’s collaboration with singer Christina Milian. Together they produced a sensual collection that hugged a women’s body in all the right places.

On of my favorite pieces was the below strapless bikini with dainty bow decorations on the top and bottom.

About:
NICOLITA'S designer, Nicole Di Rocco, established NICOLITA Swimwear in 2003. For the last seven seasons, Di Rocco's designs and creative direction has built her brand by focusing on conservative sexy and curve conscious styles. Drawing inspirations from her family's cultural Cuban roots, Nicole Di Rocco continues to create each bikini collection that is reminiscent of Cuba's alluring 1940's era. By blending vintage glamour with modern day silhouettes, NICOLITA has set itself apart in the swimwear industry. NICOLITA'S signature fit of 'Cuban-style bottoms' was designed for the curvaceous Latina figure. "'Cuban-style bottoms' are designed with more coverage on the hips, a heart-shaped backside and 'no-pinch' fit elastic," said Di Rocco. These designs and unique branding attracts a broad range of fans and celebrities worldwide.

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Dolores Cortés Spring/Summer 2013 Swimwear

 

Dolores Cortés Spring/Summer 2013 collection was all about the 80's! Models with sky high neon streaked up do’s rocked the runway in 80’s inspired swimsuits.  

One of my favorite looks was the below one piece.The transitioning light to dark pink really makes this look stand out. Also, the decoration by the decollete area was a great addition to this piece.

About:

Dolores Cortés is a company with more than 50 years’ experience in the swimsuit fashion sector and was one of the first companies created in Spain dedicated to swimsuit fashion.

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Agua Bendita Swimwear Spring/Summer 2013

It was clear to see that the Agua Bendita Spring/Summer 2013 collection was inspired by a deeply sensual Latin culture. Bright colored accents on the delicately crafted swimwear left just the right amount of skin to the imagination. Designer's Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza also paid homage to military and cowboys through some of the designs. One of my favorite pieces which is so rarely seen in a swimwear show was the above embellished bolero jacket.

About:

Agua Bendita is a Colombian swimwear company, created in 2003 by Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza, who have been the brand designers and owners since the beginning. Agua Bendita is a youthful, happy brand that has exclusive and flashy products that impose a tendency because it is based on playful, maximalist and progressive concepts that are established to be embodied in each one of the collections. Agua Bendita is a mix of technology, handcrafts and colors that are always joyful and alive. The brand has the look of a woman that wants to be admired, who wants to seek attention to herself and be noticed. This has allowed many women to identify themselves with the brand and they look for it, anywhere around the world.

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Éclairée Spring/Summer 2013 Swimwear Presentation

 

Designer Kelly Carrington presented her 2013 Éclairée collection at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami on July 20th. It was my first presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim and I was excited to see the combination of colors in each of the pieces. Color blocking was definitely a prominent trend in this collection. Each strategic color placement was like a puzzle piece that resulted in a very flattering and sophisticated look.

Another great element of this collection was a few fabulous day to night pieces like the dress below. I could definitely see myself wearing this look to a chic pool party and then transitioning to an evening out with just a few accessories. 

About:

Éclairée is a French inspired brand catering to the fashionable beach-goer and aquatic regular. The collection was designed for the modern Grace Kelly: a well-traveled woman who has impeccable taste and enjoys the finer things in life. Inspired by art and fashion, and combining effortless sex appeal with functionality, Éclairée delivers fashion-forward collections that embody playfulness, sophistication and elegance.

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Exclusive Look Around Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim

Entrance to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim took place by the picturesque Raleigh Hotel pool under palm trees and the warm Miami Sun.  

The pool which was named “one of the Sexiest Pools in America,” by Condé Nast Traveler was turned in to a runway and social soiree for editors, models, photographers and fashion bloggers like yours truly.

I made this little video to give you an exclusive sneak peak around the scene. It's not the best quality since I used my i-Phone but hopefully you get the idea!

The Airport Fiasco before My Trip to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim

Standing next to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim sign at the Raleigh Hotel.

As you know I had a chance to travel to Miami to cover Mercedes-Benz Fashion Swim for the first time a few weeks ago. 

I made sure that everything was planned from my schedule of shows to picking out exactly what I was going to wear each day. I even booked my flight a day early so I had enough time to prepare and get settled before the official first day. Everything was going to plan until I got to the airport… 

My flight was first delayed and then canceled which left me stranded at the airport over night. To add insult to injury the airport lost track of my luggage and wasn’t sure if it was already shipped to Miami or not. How’s that for a fashion nightmare?

24+ hours from the time I first arrived I was still at the airport with no flight prospects and missing luggage. Naturally I broke down crying on the floor and caused quite a scene. At that point I thought I lost my chance to cover Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim as well as my clothes and everything I needed for the trip. In a temporary state of insanity I even called the local news station to report the injustice I was going through. (Of course they didn't show up and I now realize how silly that was.)

It took about 4 hours of crying and begging for me to finally get a flight out that day. My luggage was still missing so I took a big chance when I got on the plane.  Luckily, it was a chance that paid off as I finally found my luggage in Miami. 

Although I missed the first official day I was just happy that I finally made it (with luggage) to Miami. I still had 4 more days at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim and it was everything I dreamed of and more. The picture above is of me beaming with excitement before seeing my first show in Miami. I can't wait to tell you about the exciting shows, events and people I've met during my trip.

Reporting From Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim

I'm so excited to reveal that I’m covering Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim right now at the historic Raleigh Hotel in Miami until July 23. 

It’s my first time attending Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim as well as traveling to the sunshine state. I’ve been to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York and Berlin and now I'm so excited to add Miami to my list. My dream is to travel is to cover every Fashion Week around the world.  

I’m staying at the beautiful Marseilles Hotel which is across the street from the beach and right next door to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim at the Raleigh Hotel. I’m so thankful to them for offering to be the official sponsor of my stay while I’m in town to cover Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. I’ll have more about my exciting stay at the hotel in a later blog post. 

Aside from blogging I will also be excessively tweeting, posting on Facebook, uploading videos to YouTube, using Instagram and pinning to Pinterest. Be sure to follow all five of my social channels for exclusive content from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim!

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