BIKINIS, tankinis, and all kinds of swimwear hit the runways last week in Miami at the fifth annual Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week Swim, which ended on Sunday.

The five-day, by invitation- only production drew glossy-magazine editors, department-store buyers and boutique owners, noted the Miami Herald.

Despite sleek productions and free cocktails, Fashion Week Swim – produced by sports-events and entertainment giant IMG – has struggled to achieve a definitive identity since it began in 2005.

But no such problems dogged this instalment of the event, which has arguably fought its way up to become Miami Beach’s most important fashion show, with few parallels in the resort-wear industry.

This event saw 20 shows, up from last year’s 18. Bright prints of every kind – from animal to psychedelic – were hot.

At Tibi, designer Amy Smilovic used enlarged batik and ikat prints to make designs inspired by Indonesia.

Smilovic, who said she was also inspired by the minimalist designs of the 1990s, sent models down the runway in colourful bikinis and one-pieces.

And True Religion, in tune with its current ad campaigns, sent out hippiechic swimwear with fringe and tassles, as well as jeans-inspired bottoms.

L*Space, a popular Californiabased brand that can be found at New Urban Male in Singapore, went big on fringe as well. On the catwalks were hippie-chic bikinis with fringe attached to the tops, paired with the brand’s signature Brazilian-style bottoms.

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