Swim Week Miami 2017 Round Up | What I Wore + Runway Favorites

By ErinNicoleTVAugust 1, 2017August 16, 20170 Comments3min read194 views

Swim Week 2017 is my favorite Miami experience to date. I didn’t know what to expect, what to wear, who I would meet or what it would lead to… which ultimately, made it feel that much more exciting! Looking back now I would describe it as an inspirational, fashion-forward, celebration of women. There were definitely lessons learned that I will keep in mind for next year like what to pack (a phone charger), what NOT to pack (anything heavy and unnecessary) and how to beat the heat (a portable fan), but I’m still on cloud nine from all of the positive vibes and I already can’t wait for Swim Week 2018.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – JULY 21: A model walks the runway at the SWIMMIAMI Hot-As-Hell 2018 Collection fashion show at 227 22nd Street on July 21, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images for SWIMMIAMI)

Inspiration

I knew there would be amazing fashion at Swim Week that would make me want to fill my wardrobe with bikinis and jump in the nearest pool, but I seriously underestimated the inspiration I would feel after walking the trade show floors and listening to the designers speak at brunch. It was such a pleasure meeting successful and ambitious women from around the world like the handmade beach bag designers from Colombia, E-commerce businesswomen from Canada and swimwear designers from Australia. At one point during an Industry Talk panel lead by the Swimwear Editor of Marie Claire Magazine, Beach Bunny Designer and Founder Angela Chittenden joked that she had no idea she’d end up designing bikinis because she’d always wanted to join the FBI. When discussing staying true to their brands, CMO of Maaji, Cristina Mesa made it clear that there will always be someone who hates what you do, that you cannot please everyone, a point the rest of the panel agreed with wholeheartedly. One of the many takeaways I have from meeting and speaking to these beautiful boss babes is that you have to do what makes you happy in life. Period.

Fashion-Forward

Creating the perfect Swim Week runway show schedule is impossible. In fact, creating and sticking to ANY runway show schedule is a tactical and logistical feat of great proportion. In 2015, when IMG, the founding production company pulled out of the event, Swim Week splintered into two separate entities. Now, both Funksion and SWIMMIAMI hold parties, events, runway shows and pop-up shops at different locations. It was inevitable that I was going to miss some great shows while attending others but I did my best given it was my rookie year. These are just some of my favorite looks from the runway.

And here is a snapshot of the outfits I wore during Swim Week.

Female Empowerment

It might be unfair to call Swim Week a celebration of women since there were men’s fashion shows too, but I just didn’t really notice. The event is female dominated in every aspect, except maybe photography, and I prefer it that way. The models looked beautiful, strong and confident as they walked down the runway. The swimwear represented women of all body types and personalities, from sexy to functional, classic to modern, there was something for everyone. The best part was meeting other fashion bloggers from across the country that were visiting just for Swim Week. Blogging really is a kind of sorority or sisterhood and I’ve been lucky enough to meet some really supportive and creative women. We may not share the same sense of style but we all recognize and respect the amount of work and dedication it takes to carve out our little piece of the internet and make it our own. I look forward to seeing them again next year and to meeting even more empowered women with whom I can lust after beautiful bikinis. To see some of my favorite swimsuits I recently wore to the Mandarin Oriental, check out my latest blog post.