Yesterday was Day 2 of Swim Week madness. After a lovely tea party at 1 Bleu at the Regent I jetted down to South Beach to get lost in the fray. First I made a stop at the Gansevoort rooftop lounge to chat with Marie-Laure Fournier, a beauty ambassador for Talika Cosmetics, a French company that specializes in very cool products developed to treat burn victims during WWII. More on that later. I then headed to the Raleigh to check in for the Tibi show. I was invited backstage at the fashion tent where Smashbox make-up artists were feverishly applying bronzer to the model herd. It was predictably hectic back there with a plethora of camera crews jockeying for space but I truly enjoyed the industrial A/C. After about 4 minutes of snapping random pictures I felt rilly, rilly short with all those Amazonians milling about. I did love their gold shoes, very Nancy Sinatra.
Back by the Raleigh cabana beachway sponsors like Aveeno, Sephora and Conair set up swag tents with lots of giveaways. The most popular was the Havaianas flip-flop stand where the line grew to about 70 sweaty sandal fans willing to slug it out in the heat to get their very own rhinestone-embellished pair. I ducked into the Tibi tent where rows of folding chairs and more industrial A/C beckoned.
Lots of Sophia Loren-influenced looks from Tibi designer Amy Smilovic. Paisley prints in bright fuchsias, purples and greens. Another highlight of the night was the Shay Todd show at the Setai. We got there just as the show started. The runway was over the Setai's courtyard pool which I've always thought is a great venue for fashion shows.
The Los Angeles-based designer was showing lots of gossamer feather-light beach dresses and tunics in addition to sophisticated beachwear. There were also some terry-cloth mini-dresses thrown in for extra absorbency. Here were colorful looks that were perfect for a day at the beach or a jet-set jaunt in St. Tropez. But then again, what else were you expecting? After the show guests walked out with generous gift bags from Nivea including some thoughtful cellulite cream. After being inundated with models all day I was ready to bathe in a tub full of it.
But I'd also like to point out that the models have not been as anorexic-heroine-chic as expected which is a nice surprise. Watching the girls strut I found myself thinking, wow that girl has an ass. Could be that Miami models have a little more badonk-a-donk. This is a refreshing change from the starvation mode usually on display.
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