The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is in Miami  this week – July 18 through July 22 – which means it is time to turn up the heat in South Beach. The event is devoted exclusively to the newest and hottest styles in swimwear fashion. Over 40 designers from around the world will be in SoBe displaying their latest creations. Viewers can expect to see styles from brands like Oakley, Roxy, BCBGenration, and foreign brands like Cm Cia.Marítima, a well-known Brazilian designer.

Enough about clothing; let’s talk about the fabulous models. These teeny weeny bikinis and sexy suits will adorn the bodies of some of the hottest abs in the world. Sports Illustrated model Hannah Davis modeled at the exclusive Salon Allure show at the W on Friday night.  Salon Allure presented a cutting-edge one-woman runway show – the first ever seen at Swim Week.  Davis was the only model in the show and modeled swimwear from over 25 designers. This event was not open to the public (we totally snuck in), but it was streamed live at http://www.salonallure-online.com for everyone to watch.  Another Sports Illustrated model, Nina Agdal, also made an appearance.  Agdal is the ex-girlfriend (wait, that was fast) of heartthrob Adam Levine and essentially the envy of almost every woman. Agdal strutted down the runway at the Beach Bunny show presented by Veet.

There are sure to be celebrity and media appearances galore. Last year Christina Milano and the cast from the Real Housewives of Miami were among the celebrities enjoying the shows.

Swim Week kicked off at the Raleigh hotel with a celebration dedicated to 25 years of Roxy swimwear. The event ends on Monday with a show from Minimale Animale at the Raleigh’s Oasis. There are only a few shows the lowly public can attend by purchasing tickets, but the majority of the shows are exclusively invite only or reserved for media. But don’t be discouraged, there are local clubs hosting super trendy parties to celebrate the swimwear season and many shows can be streamed online. Also, stalking around South Beach is a good way to spot some celebs or models. No judgment here.

words_alyssa jacobson. photo_thefashionfoot.com