Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim/Cruise 2009: Diesel
Diesel kicked off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim with a runway show and opening-night party poolside at The Raleigh hotel in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 17. According to Chief Executive Officer Steve Birkhold, the growth of the 2-year-old swim collection made this the right venue to expose the swim category to a broader market. “Miami is a city that Diesel really identifies with. We have a number of retail stores here; it’s a very international marketplace,” Birkhold said. The Spring/Summer collection, developed by Diesel Creative Director Wilbert Das, had a collegiate, varsity theme. Models walked the runway in collegiate-inspired swimwear rocking sporty props such as helmets, shoulder pads, bats and tennis rackets. Women’s styles included an edgy silver-metallic bandeau bikini, ’80s-esque graphic-printed suits with mesh coverups and off-the-shoulder dresses. For men, styles ranged from ’80s graphic-printed boxer briefs and baseball-inspired swim trunks paired with high tops to geek-chic plaid shorts and glasses. —N.J.S.
