MIAMI FASHION SWIM WEEK: VITAMIN A
Vitamin A kicked off the last full day of shows at this year’s Miami Fashion Week Swim when the label showed their sexy collection at the Raleigh Hotel’s Cabaña Grande at 7pm on July 19th.
The line, started in 2000 by Amahlia Stevens with four black bikinis, has vastly expanded over the years and now includes both bikinis and resort wear. Stevens claims that she coined the term "California Cut" bikini, which is often used to describe the suits that fall somewhere between the Brazilian and the American bikini cuts.
Vitamin A, though daringly revealing at times, creates swimwear pieces that are functionally constructed to allow wearers to surf, dive, and swim without worrying about exposing more than they bargained for. Little surprise, then, that active stars like Gisele Bundchen and Cameron Diaz are often spotted in Vitamin A suits, which are carried by some of the world’s leading retail outlets (think Barney's New York, Henri Bendel, Harvey Nichols, and the original Calypso boutique in St. Barts).
This season, Vitamin A showed a mix of black swimwear (the brand is sometimes known as the “LBD of swimwear”), brightly colorful and patterned looks, as well as mixed and matched ones. This has emerged, without a doubt, as the dominant bikini trend this Fashion Week Swim season. The 2010 Vitamin A collection was inspired by the designer’s travels from the beach of Bahia, Brazil to the islands in the South of Norway. This inspiration came through strongest in the colorful prints, some of which included recreations of animal skins, as well as in innovative maillot shapes.
As for the details, ruching, braided straps, exotic beads, and matte metallic hardware were used.
