OK, folks. You can now breathe a sigh of relief -- or of sadness if you love seeing models and reality stars strutting their stuff on the streets of South Beach. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim is officially over.
The five-day runway marathon proved daunting for a lot of Miami newbies, as waiting in hour-long lines in 95+ degree heat isn't for the faint of heart. But hey, we're not complaining. Well, maybe just a little.
The shows were packed with celebrities and reality TV stars, and we've got your recap of the biggest MBFWS shows we saw -- with official video footage. So take in all the nudity in one big gulp.
Thursday, July 15: Trina Turk
The first fashion show of the week started off with a dizzying 1960's/70's style soundtrack. Asymmetrical caftans and low back maxi dresses accented with tons of gold jewelry graced the runway, as the fabrics seemed to be stripped right off of St. Tropez jetsetters. Mesh pants, cocktail dresses, handbags -- and of course, swimwear -- were shown.
Standout Looks: The slinky gold harem pants, disco-dance ready jersey dresses, and a flowy, ombre-style, blue mini dress with long asymmetrical sides.
Trend Alert: volumized hair, larger-than-life straw hats with bow accents, head bandanas, and long gold necklaces
The Vibe: St. Tropez meets Palm Beach
Celebrity sightings: Angela Simmons (Rev. Run's daughter) sitting next to Bow Wow, front and center.
Friday, July 16: Kardashians for Beach Bunny Swimwear
To a soundtrack of pulsing club music, the show started with Kardashian staples: metallic fabrics, glitter, and rompers. But it quickly proceeded to include crochet and lace fabrics, mini dresses, and metallic animal prints. The real shocker was how the runway turned a steep detour toward the bedroom with fingerless lace gloves, thigh-high fishnet stockings, sky-high stilettos, black feathers, and lace bandanas that covered the models' eyes. The rhinestone details and metal hardware hinted more toward bondage than bathing suits.
Trend Alert: Beach-set waves in long, flowing hair, gold arm-bands, layered necklaces, and satiny rompers
The Vibe: The beach meets the bedroom
Celebrity sightings: Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe, and Selena Gomez
Friday, July 16: Ed Hardy
Ed Hardy stuck to what they do best: rhinestone detailing. We wouldn't expect anything else from the staple wardrobe of the Jersey Shore and Jon Gosselin. And their hip-hop soundtrack had the audience in the standing room full-on dancing. We saw a lot of bleach blonde faux-bangs, feather detailed hair pieces, bright colors with pleated detailing, metallic trims, and studded bustiers -- all with some kind of rhinestone, zipper, or gold detailing. There were no surprises here, as they stuck to mostly swimwear, and we saw plenty of Hardy's trademark tattoo-inspired roses and skulls. A lot of eclectic mixes, like zebra prints with polka dots and bows, sheer paneling in one-pieces, stripes, sailor hats, and snakeskin low-rise men's trunks in what looked like plastic/pleather.
Standout Look: A chainmail necklace that fit almost like a sheer dress over a classic bandeau two piece. Wow. Definitely not good for tan lines.
Trend Alert: Red lips, thick curls, smokey eyes -- but not all at the same time.
The Vibe: Tattoos meet swimwear
Celebrity Sightings: Mostly seen on the runway, with Snoop Dogg's son, Corde Broadus, launching his modeling career at the show
Saturday, July 17: Mara Hoffman
This show was by far the standout collection for us. There wasn't one piece on the runway that didn't mesmerize us, and we felt like the smooth soundtrack only added to the jungle-goddess-coming-out-of-her-cave feeling. The tribal-print-heavy collection was juxtaposed with soft, sheer, floor-length caftans and caged detailing. And it still managed to look cohesive and put together. A lot of the looks were on-trend with cut-out detailing, peep-toe wooden clogs, underwire corsets, deep V one-pieces, rompers, high-waisted bottoms, and jersey maxi dresses. Hoffman showcased a mini-collaboration with Alternative Apparel, featuring a poncho dress that looked more like a deep-V, oversized hoodie dress to us. But that didn't make us love it any less.
Standout Look: Definitely the floor-length sheer printed caftan that looked heavily influenced by Alexander McQueen's (RIP) final collection.
Trend Alert: Messily styled, side fishtail braids, tribal prints, caged-back dresses, and metal armbands
The Vibe: Amazonian woman meets sexy beach babe
Celebrity Sightings: New York socialites
Saturday, July 17: True Religion Swimwear
Nothing's more endearing than a runway show with a Southern drawl. This show had surf and rock 'n roll touches, and hints of Southern roots -- with straw cowboy hats the notable accent piece. This western style was accented with gold braid detailing, big hoop earrings, monster-sized Texan bouffants, and frayed denim swimwear. True Religion's trademark horseshoe U was displayed on most looks, and the pastel colored guitars with heart-shaped accents were sweet additions to the barefoot models' props. The soundtrack played a mix of country, radio hits, and -- our favorite -- Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made for Walkin." The look was pure Americana throughout, with a runway heavy in blues and whites, bandanas, metallics, bustiers, gold studs, and frayed suede bags and vests.
Standout Look: The black and golded studded two-piece string bikini.
Trend Alert: Deconstructed, frayed denim, aviator sunglasses, big, puka shell necklaces, bouffant hair with curled tips, sporadic braids, and a rocker edge
The Vibe: Rock'n'roll cowboy meets surfer chic
Celebrity Sightings: There were quite a few celebrity girlfriends who strutted the runway, among them, John Legend's girlfriend Christine Teigen
