By: Mary Jo Shore and Maryanne Salvat

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim descended upon the South Beach sands this weekend, with an action-packed schedule of 20 shows, featuring designs from top swimwear brands including: Poko Pano, True Religion, Mara Hoffman, Ed Hardy, Red Carter, Luli Fama and our favorite, this season’s Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer, Trina Turk, whose 60s Hollywood-glam-meets Acapulco inspired pieces received raving reviews.  The daily mix of sweltering heat and torrential rain, (c’mon, it’s Miami in JULY, what did you expect?) hardly dampened the excitement for the thousands of fashion insiders who packed the various venues at the Raleigh and trekked amid puddles to off-site shows, such as Red Carter’s at the Bass Museum and satellite swimsuit showcases such as Salon Allure and Melissa Odabash at the W; Funkshion at the Setai; and numerous events at the Webster boutique (more on these next week).

But by far, the most striking (and only topless) beauty showcased throughout the week was the 2011 Mercedes Benz E-Cabriolet, the latest four-seat, soft top convertible by the luxury line, which features a wind-blocking, AIRCAP system and sound-dampening soft top.  This sexy model shone brightly in Miami- where topless driving is a year-round past-time.

The shows were as diverse and creative as their designers: ranging in themes from 60’s Rock-N-Roll Boho Chic (True Religion) to “swimsuit gala” (Red Carter) to Island Dance Party (Luli Fama).   And while providing specifics about each show would fill volumes, we’ve provided a brief rundown of our favorites- be sure to check out the photos.

Trina Turk

 The Trina Turk 2011 show was the perfect kick-off to the best Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim to date. Vibrant colors, flowing materials, and gorgeous prints graced the runways, encompassing Turk’s palette of fuchsia, bright greens, and Miami Beach blues, complimented the tanned beauties modeling the sophisticated and sexy creations.   Most striking, aside from the natural look of the models were the enormous, distinctive straw hats fashioned to accentuate each style on the runway. Each look was accompanied by Turk’s own vintage inspired jewelry reflecting the colors of the line.  There is no doubt that Socialholics™ local and abroad, will be incorporating these looks to their social lifestyles.

 True Religion

By far, the most “all American show” of the weekend, True Religion, evoked the feeling of a cool beach hang-out, circa 1968, and featured barefoot, natural looking models, wearing suits that you might actually wear to the beach. The line was comprised of elements of vintage-Americana including:  suits made of cotton and denim materials, in neutral colors, with a few bronze and metallic prints, complimented by denim cut-off shorts, fringed leather vests, aviator glasses and props such as surfboards, pastel colored guitars with heart shaped holes and lots of good old American tunes, including:  These Boots Are Made For Walking, Rambling Man, an incredible mash-up of Riders on the Storm with Rapture and a modern version of Stayin’ Alive, which had the crowd dancing.  Overheard in the front row, “This show is so much fun, I just don’t want to leave!”

Red Carter

Local favorite, Red Carter, dazzled with his show at the Bass Museum, which encompassed multiple levels of the space.  The show, masterfully styled and directed by Danny Santiago, was stunning in every way- from the classical music blaring from the speakers, to the gorgeous models draped in capes and tulle, adorned in over-the-top accessories.   At the end of the show, Carter was escorted down the multi-level runway wearing a white-rabbit mask…tempting the fashion forward to “follow him.”

Luli Fama

Luli Fama was one the most entertaining shows of the week, titled “Baila, Luli, Baila!” (Dance, Luli, Dance!)- a tribute to designer, Luli Hanimian,  a Miami native of Cuban descent. The crowd was in awe as Robert Elias turned the runway into a stage, as he belted out a soulful rendition of Cooler than Me, setting the tone for the electric show, getting the crowd to clap and sing along. Then Cabana Grande was transformed into a Miami night club as gorgeous models strutted down the runway to the hottest soundtrack-the crowd could not sit still.  Elias took the stage at the end closing the show paying tribute to the designer’s Latin roots but not before seasoned model, Tika Ivezaj, a dead-ringer for Giselle Bundchen, teasingly stripped off her tunic, waving it in the air, and sauntered seductively down the runway flanked by a lone spotlight, to the rhythm of tribal drums, raising more than a few blood pressures.

Ed Hardy

Maintaining the tattoo edge that Ed Hardy is infamous for, designer Christian Audigier incorporated a feminine flare by mixing bright, bold colors and saturated neon’s.  New embellishments included zipper accents, lurex straps, chainlink details and custom hardware and textures, taking the authentic Ed Hardy art and giving the brand a fresh, new upgrade. New tie-dye combinations of lime paired with gold, shades of mango, vivid blues and aqua’s, added a tropical twist to the runway.

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat