MIAMI SWIM WEEK 2017: DAY 1 & 2
If you follow me on Instagram, you know we recently returned from Miami. I have always wanted to attend Miami Swim Week but the dates to register for press passes always sneaks up on me. This year I set a reminder in my calendar and registered and traveled to take in the shows. I have always loved swimwear. My friends make fun of me because I always have a new swimsuit. At one point I owned 100! I'm so excited to share a recap Day 1 & 2 of my first Swim Week with you guys! Day 3 and my video diary will be up soon!
DAY 1
Our flight was delayed. I wasn't surprised. Every time I fly American Airlines, there is an issue with our flight. (it got cancelled on the way back, BTW) I was super sad because the weather channel app showed storms every day of our trip! Luckily, everyone calmed me down by reminding me the weather pretty much always shows storms in Miami. Luckily it only rained that morning and the morning we were leaving.
We arrived at our hotel, The Confidante and checked to see if we could check-in early. Our room wasn't ready so we grabbed a bite to eat at Bird & Bone. The cheddar and chive biscuits were so good! This wasn't my first time staying at the property. I stayed at this hotel when it was Thompson Miami Beach. I had such a great time the first stay, I had to come back. Since then, Hyatt purchased the property and rebranded it.
Outfit 1: Robinson Style Shop Sunny Scoop Back One Piece Swimsuit
Outfit 2: Robinson Style Shop Siva Crochet Lace Up Top
Since our flight was delayed, we showered and changed as soon as we checked in to make it to the shows. Our first show was the HAMMOCK show. HAMMOCK is a trade show held every year during Swim Week. They also hold a runway show showcasing collections from top swimwear brands from Beach Bunny to SUNDRESS. The HAMMOCK show was the perfect first swim show for me since I got to see so many different brands and styles on the runway! I noticed so many crocheted and statement cover ups! I recently realized that I need to step up my cover up game so I can go from pool to errands.
Outfit: J.Crew sailor pant in heavy linen, ASOS broderie crop top with puff sleeves, Topshop Majorca sandals
Since we had quite a few more shows after the HAMMOCK show, we took a break at the Conde Nast Traveler Media Lounge at the W South Beach. The theme of the lounge this year was Apres Sea and had a Cayman Islands vibe. The decor was chic, they had bottled water, drinks, appetizers and air conditioning (hallelujah!) After a few coconut shrimp and Cayman lemonades, we were heading back to the wet deck for show number 2.
The second show of the night was a joint show featuring Silvia Ulson and KOA Swim. I loved the joint show! Silvia is from Brazil and you could see the Brazilian influence in her show from the design, music and accessories. The KOA Swim show was quintessential California. The show started off with a bang when they put "real" mermaids in the pool to swim around the runway. I got the chance to chat with KOA designer Kylie Genesoto about what goes into creating a runway show, her inspiration behind the line and her favorite piece in the collection (tough choice!)
After the shows, we headed back to our hotel to get tacos and drinks from Nina's House, the freestanding 1930's bungalow bar on The Confidante. We ordered the "Spicy Nina" and "Globetrotter" from the bartender and Steak Nina and Chef Hale's Hot Chicken tacos. It was the perfect end to a long day of traveling and shows.
DAY 2
We wanted to get an early start on Saturday since our nights were pretty much booked from 6:00pm-11:00pm for shows. I had been wanting to visit the Faena Hotel after seeing gorgeous pictures of it online. We decided to grab breakfast at Los Fuegos and it was delicious! And literally every inch of Los Fuegos and Faena is stunning. I ordered blueberry pancakes, of course. I am seriously addicted to blueberry pancakes (blueberry anything actually). Of course I had to get a snap in front of Hirst's golden mammoth. There's was actually a wedding in front of the piece when we first got to the hotel but they were off to the reception by the time we finished breakfast. After breakfast we came back to the hotel to lounge by the pool.
Outfit 1: Robinson Style Shop Marleigh Two Piece Set
Outfit 2: Zara stripe swimsuit with side knots
Our first show of the day was the Gottex Cruise 2018 show. Gottex is an amazing brand and has been a part of so many iconic moments. I was really excited to see the line. It did not disappoint and was exactly what I would expect from such a classic brand. We had the Conde Nast Traveler Apres Ski Media Lounge to keep us hydrated and cool between shows. We ducked in to grab bottled waters before the Sports Illustrated Swim Show.
I was looking forward to this show since it was the debut of SI's first-ever swimsuit line. It was one of my favorite shows of the week. SI's collection includes swimwear in sizes 2-20 and they had such a diverse group of models on the runway. I loved watching realistic women on the runway, having fun and feeling confident. For SI to embrace every woman in their line is a beautiful thing!
Outfit: Robinson Style Shop Stella embroidered tunic
We were heading back to our hotel and deciding about dinner when we passed beachcraft restaurant. We skimmed the menu and quickly put our name on the waitlist. The manager looked out and got us a table even though there was a mile long waitlist. The food was amazing but I was even more in love with the decor. I seriously think the restaurant will be the inspiration for my new home office design (more on that in a later post!) beachcraft looks exactly how you'd imagine a coastal themed restaurant would look, only more chic! Think light wood, white linen, cognac leather and tons of lush green arrangements. I recently became a fan of Top Chef so I was geeked when I read that the restaurant is Tom Colicchio's brainchild. The menu is separated in three sections, First, Middle and Main along with raw bar and snack options. We went along with the waiter's suggestion and chose one dish from each section: Key West shrimp from the raw bar, gnocchi with Maine lobster, English peas and corn and black grouper with parsnip, brussels, truffle and mushroom jus. Of course dessert is always on the agenda. We ordered three scoops of gelato: brown sugar bourbon, vanilla and rocky road. It was the perfect late night dinner. We passed out as soon as we got back to our room.