Paraiso Miami Beach Swim Week is back: "It's the fun time of the year"
MIAMI – This week, more than ever, skin is most definitely in on South Beach.
Paraiso Miami Beach Swim Week is back in-person for the Resort 2023 season.
The four-day event features most shows at the tent on Collins Avenue and 21 Street. The schedules feature a packed weekend of 45 events, including runway shows, brand activations, parties and events.
It's all about the business of swim – both for the industry itself and for the money it brings to town.
"It's the fun time of the year that everyone benefits from. The restaurants, the hotels are all packed. I think we have over 30,000 people that come into town this week," said Natalija Dedic Stojanovic, co- founder of Paraiso.
Miami-based designer Lourdes Hanimian, founder of the successful brand Luli Fama, has been designing swimwear for 17 years. She has a huge celebrity following, which includes Camilla Cabello, Gabrielle Union and Alssendra Ambrossio, to name a few.
"We want our lines to be glam and happy and fun and great colors – just what you feel like when you go the beach," said Hanimian.
Thursday, she's fitted models at The Mondrian South Beach for her show Saturday night. She'll show off glamorous and colorful swimsuits as well as a new ready to line. It looks like all sun and fun, but it's not easy.
"It's very hard. We source the prints. We work with artists to design them. We color the prints sometimes 5-10 times and we are thinking what we're going to do next and staying different, so it's very challenging," she explained.
In addition to the big-name designers, students from the Miami Designs District's Istituto Marangoni, one of the nation's top fashion and design schools, are prepping for a show this weekend. They've worked with big-name designers to use their deadstock material to make sustainable new bathing suits.
Marco Babiloni went for a more classic glam ensemble, while Amelie Onate went for a retro look complete with roller skates.
"So you're using castaway material from another swimwear designers line?" asked CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
"Yes, exactly. She's a California-based designer, so I feel like it really emulates what the brand stands for," said Onate.
Whether its teeny weenie bikinis or full on after swim fashion, swimwear continues to flow upstream anyway you look at it.
"It is a $21 billion industry and it's projected to be almost in $25 billion by 2025," said Natalija Dedic Stojanovic.
Paraiso Miami Beach Swim Week is on through Sunday with quite a few free events for the public. For more info, visit paraisomiamibeach.com.
