Photo Credit:Walter Grio/Shoot For Change (Crystal Jin)
Could there a better place on earth than Miami, Florida for the 2012 swimwear collections review? Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is the place to be and be seen here in South Beach this week.
It is no wonder L *Space lead designer, Monica Wise won last year’s Mercedes-Benz Designer of the Year. It might be a wise choice for this year as well once you see her new designs. Wise says her inspirations come from beaches in Southern California where she lives, to distant seashores, and designers from decades past.
Moving on to New York, I’ll share another fine example by Crystal Jin. The Manhattan based designer’s Crystal Eley concept is "luxury for the next generation, a brand that epitomizes the multi-faceted lifestyle of an under the radar jetsetter." Sorry, nice try Eley, but as stunning as these swimsuits are, they simply cannot slide under anyone’s radar. Below are my favorites from the show.
Hard at work in Miami, photographer Walter Grio sits front row shooting photos of these almost naked lovelies. It is a tough job but someone’s got to do it. Grio, who founded Shoot for Change, a charitable organization, has said, "Why would I want to get paid for something I love to do [photography]?" So Grio created Shoot For Change charity where all proceeds from the photo shoots he is hired for go to a charity of your choice, in your name. Ingenious!
Last, although certainly not least, I take you to Australia where I was overly impressed with White Sands. I wanted to save the best for last even though they were the first to kick off the shows Friday evening. The new collection is different and daring in a way I did not expect. Designer Leah Madden "designs for the woman who demands her beachwear be as fashion-forward as her lifestyle."
As with each swimsuit season, the shows (so far) had their share of the barely there bikinis. However, I am admiring the glamorous vintage looks that have more fabric to them, as seen above. In other words, I would not feel like my grandmother wearing any of the swimsuits by White Sands. Maybe this is what drew me to her so greatly, that Madden still added so much sex appeal with so much fabric.
I eagerly await the remaining new collections in the next few days from such worldly designers as Caffe Swimwear and Aqua Di Lara. Grio is simply going to have to hang in there for me as he breaks between shows either beachside or at private parties hosted by the sponsors. For details and show schedule, visit ModelForChange.com and for Walter Grio’s Shoot for Change, go to ShootForChange.com.
