#ThankYouMiami for (Swim Week) Fashion

Had your fill of Miami Swim Week recaps? Worry not – this is not your average runway rehash. Au contraire, this post is about celebrating the #ThankYouMiami moments we encountered hidden amidst gorgeous swimwear (i.e., is thatÂ really Kelly Slater?). Freshen up that glass of prosecco and relive with us the 10 reasons why Miami Swim Week is one of the most exciting seasons of Miami life.

10. Pool parties on the catwalk. Who better to redefine the runway than the epicenter of fun in the sun? 1 out of every 2 showcases this Miami Swim Week was in, over or around the water. We have also heard that 80% of all statistics are made up.

Thank-You-Miami-Swim-Week-Fashion-10 — Peroni Presents the 3rd Annual Emerging Designer Series at the SLS Hotel

9. Blogger love. It was amazing to experience first-hand the love that the designers, event producers, and PR agencies had for the local bloggers this year despite our rapidly growing community. A special thanks to blogger Annie Vazquez from The Fashion Poet for bringing us together to share “Our Summer Stories” in editorial style photos shot by Alex Tamargo of Alta Images.

Thank-You-Miami-Swim-Week-Fashion-9 — “Our Summer Stories” featuring *#ThankYouMiami* on display at the Escape Miami Lounge

8. New friendships. Miami Swim Week was primarily about networking, but we love that we bridged new friendships and cemented existing friendship along the way. We cannot wait to see how these relationships blossom over the next year!

Mr. and Mrs. Miami introducing us to new friends at the Escape Miami Lounge

Bonding with these Miami babes on the rooftop of the Boulan at the Wildfox Brunch — Bonding with some fabulous Miami babes on the rooftop of the Boulan at the Wildfox Brunch

7. Fabulous food. Here’s a little-known secret: fashion events are a great time to be a glutton. Per Miami standards, the food is delicious and, compared to food-centric events, most people eat modest portions. More for us!

Mexican-style corn on the grill at The Standard's Lazy Sunday BBQ — Mexican-style corn on the grill at The Standard’s Lazy Sunday BBQ

6. Sexy cuts. Regardless of their inspiration, most of the collections we saw walk down the runway featured the boldness or bright colors common to Miami’s unique and enviable style. Collections which were both bold and bright, like Dolores CortÃ©s’ Urban Safari collection, are at the top of our must-have list!

Dolores CortÃ©s presented her Urban Safari collection in the CabaÃ±a Grande

The collection, which blended contemporary and ancient aspects, featured clean shapes and multicolor prints — The Dolores CortÃ©s collection featured clean shapes and multicolor prints

5. Miami friendships at their finest. Genuine friendships are the holy grail of Miami life. We are grateful for the group of quality friends we have curated for ourselves in Miami. Thank you for all of your support during Miami Swim Week!

Friends from near and far supporting #ThankYouMiami at Escape Miami Lounge (and acting weird) — Friends from near and far supporting #ThankYouMiami at Escape Miami Lounge

#ThankYouMiami friends catching up bayside at The Standard Lazy Sunday BBQ

4. Local femmepreneurs.Â As if we needed further proof, Miami Swim Week showed the world that Miami women are bold, beautiful, and ambitious. “#GirlBoss”es of the 305 took advantage of all the eyes on Miami to get their incredible talent noticed. And notice we did.

Looks By Lo owner Lauren Hernandez gave Miami a sneak peek of her boutique and her styling skills at the Escape Miami Lounge. — Looks By Lo owner Lauren Hernandez gave Miami a sneak peek of the killer clothes at her Palm Springs North boutique and of her refined styling skills at the Escape Miami Lounge.

Danielle Pinder shows Miami how to go cheeky with her dbrie swim collection. — Danielle Pinder’s 2015 dbrie swim collection wowed at the Escape Miami Lounge and various other events throughout the week.

3. #OnlyInMiami runway moments. Leather and shearling lining in 80-degree weather? Miami’s got this. While the runway had its fair share of Miami-inspired styles, it also had its #OnlyInMiami moments – the most memorable of which were some of the looks at Peroni Presents the 3rd Annual Emerging Designer Series.

Leather look from Peroni Presents the 3rd Annual Emerging Designer Series at the SLS Hotel

1-IMG_7053 — Shearling-lined look from Peroni Presents the 3rd Annual Emerging Designer Series at the SLS Hotel

2. WTF?! moments. Miami residents are used to expecting the unexpected, but who thought the Wildfox models would walk down the runway to TLC? And who anticipated the 11-time world champion of surfing to pop in for a visit? Definitely not us.

The Wildfox show at the CabaÃ±a Grande gave a nod to the 80s and the 90s with throwback swimwear and soundtrack.

The Miami Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation shared a moment between shows with Kelly Slater — The Miami Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation shared a moment while promoting their Rise Above Plastic campaign with Kelly Slater (left). Photo credit: Logan Fazio

1. Fulfilled dreams. Every event was an opportunity for designers, models and bloggers to showcase their talent and check off many “firsts”. From 19-year-old Francesca Aiello’s record breaking runway show in the Oasis to the 3rd Annual Emerging Designer Series runway show, Miami was running on fulfilled dreams for a straight week.