
Mayor Philip Levine poses with Lourdes Hanimian, Catherine Bennett, Red Carter, Monica Wise, Sue Dichio, Jeremy Somers, Katinka Somers, Mara Hoffman and Benny Rosset at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2015 at The Raleigh on July 17, 2014 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)
By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2015 took over the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach from July 17-21 for five fun-filled days and nights of splashy parties and sexy swimsuit shows. Mercedes-Benz celebrated the 10th anniversary of MBFW Swim and its collaboration with labels that have shown throughout the last decade by wrapping ten 2015 C-Class cars in custom prints by ten iconic designers. The stunning designer-print wrapped cars welcomed guests to the tents each night, with a rotating selection parked on Collins Avenue. Designers such as: Carmen Marc Valvo, Cia.Maritima, Luli Fama, Beach Bunny, Suboo, We Are Handsome, Mara Hoffman, L*Space by Monica Wise, Red Carter and Nanette Lepore created prints to “dress” the cars. In addition, gorgeous models posed around the pool, donning limited edition cover-ups during the Retrospective Fashion Show during the MBFW Swim kick-off bash on opening night. MBFW also partnered with visual artist Jeremyville (www.jeremyville.com) to create key visual art in celebration of the anniversary which was featured on a wrapped 2015 C-Class Mercedes-Benz vehicle. In addition to the aforementioned designers, this year’s show line-up included: Wildfox, Maaji, Minimale Animale, Luli Fama, Suboo, 6 Shore Road, Dolores Cortés, and Poko Pano. More than 200 designers have showcased their swim collections during the past ten years of MBFWS.
As is the case every season, the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, located in the Esther Williams Suite at The Raleigh, was the place to see and be seen, where celebrities, models, designers, customers and editors congregated for refuge from the heat while networking and comparing notes about who was where, who did what and with whom. As expected FOMO (fear of missing out) ran rampant. Exquisite bites by Chef Michael Schwartz and free flowing cocktails and Champagne kept the mood lively as guests marveled at the beautiful designs of Bronson van Wyck, who created the look of the gorgeous respite again this season. Spotted in the Star Lounge: Maria Menounos, Mara Hoffman, Marysol Patton, Michael Bay, and DJ Irie to name a few.