MIAMI SWIM WEEK: Tribal Chic at Mara Hoffman

My favorite styling was hands down the Mara Hoffman Swimwear 2014 show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  Her signature use of ethnic prints included Indian deities, tropical florals and mystical tribal patterns.

Of course, the color palette was not traditional to the inspirational cultures, but updated with a fashion forward palette.  The prints were also engineered into curves and shapes that flattered the body.  The real stunner was the jewelry and hair by Nick Irwin of TIGI.  The jewelry was a mix of antiqued silver bells and beads in layers of bracelets and necklaces.  Each model had elaborately plaited hair with textile flowers and tassels that were traditionally used as decorations for camels.
Make-up was more subtle with natural, earthy looks with a inked in motifs on the forehead.

In addition to swimsuits, the runway had pretty dresses that were perfect for a night out, well beyond the basic cover-ups that most swimwear collections offered.

Mara Hoffman was also the designer that Mercedes-Benz chose to honor during Miami Fashion Week by plastering her prints all over their marquee car model.  The cars were prominently displayed outside of the
Raleigh Hotel as guests entered the fashion show venues.  Damn, I have heard of matching your purse to your outfit, but being able to match  your ride to your threads? That's badass.

photos by Mariana Leung, camel photo from Adelaide Beatrice Laing