Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim
Day 2: July 19, 2013
Agua Bendita, Dolores Cortés
at The Raleigh Hotel
1775 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Day two of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim started off with a bang -- albeit a delayed one. All shows ran half an hour behind at least, and we can't help but think it had something to do with poor organization skills. But hey, the sun was finally out, the heat was scorching, and while media and attendees try to find new and interesting ways to combat sweat-inducing high temperatures while still maintaining photo ready, we're here to report on the latest trends from the swim runways.
Newsflash: If last night's shows are any indication, punk is in, studs are on everything, and snakeskin is making a comeback in the pastel variety. Walk with attitude and strut your stuff; [almost] anything goes.
See also: Swim Week 2014 at the Raleigh, Day One (Photos)
Agua Bendita
After being sent to three different tents and an hour of back and forth, we finally got our seating assignments for Agua Bendita. The show, meant to start at 6pm, truly ran on Miami time, finally beginning at 6:35. But no matter. The DJ was pumping and the crowd was hyped for what the Colombian duo had in store for us.
Models were styled with a punk-ish aesthetic: ear pieces, hair pulled to one side, cutesy 90s-inspired nods at nostalgia and head pieces that looked a bit like weapons. As usual, it was a mish-mash of every trend they enjoyed-- and a few we could do without.
Standout looks: Though we don't really see the functionality of wearing a leather-type vest to the beach, it definitely looked like something that could transition into a fun night out. The embroidered one-piece with the camera emblazoned on it made us smile, too.
We could do without: all of the rhinestones. So.many.rhinestones.
The Vibe: Affliction-wearing dudes' girlfriends
Cute Factor: Pink overalls, Lion face mini backpacks, and badges that looked like they belong to Girl Scouts made us nostalgic for growing up in the 90s.
Dolores Cortés
It's pretty much already been established that Dolores Cortés has a flair for the dramatic. While last year's showing brought on the bride of Frankenstein, this year proved that punk really is making a comeback. (Thanks, Metropolitan Museum of Art.)
Attendees couldn't help but dance in their seats to the non-stop angry girl punk throwbacks-- and we couldn't be happier. Over-the-top smoky eyes, what appeared to be half-shaved heads (but were really just strategically parted, obviously) filled with braids and hair so big it looked like a bird flew in it; this is true pomp and circumstance. Cortés was even channeling some major vintage (circa 2010) Alexander McQueen-- if his pieces were adorned with palm trees and set at the beach, that is.
Standout looks: The rope-detailed gold platform stilettos; the amazingly flowy green maxi skirt with gold studded belt; the laser-cut one-pieces; the bib necklaces; we loved basically every single look.
We could do without: We've never actually said this, but nothing. Every single piece was flawless.
The Vibe: Carmen Miranda goes Punk.
Cute Factor: While most of the pieces screamed modern, independent punk, they also had an air of femininity thanks to the color scheme. The floral tie-dye prints would be adorable with a skirt or pants for a night out.
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