Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swimshy;/Cruise 2009: Ed Hardy
Ostensibly an Ed Hardy presentation, the July 19 runway show for designer Christian Audigier’s tattoo-inspired brand at The Raleigh hotel in Miami Beach, Fla., turned into a showcase for all things Audigier—including swimwear for his own namesake brand and Smet, a rock ’n’ roll collection that is part of his ever-growing empire. The raucous show—complete with Audigier’s special mix of celebrity, Ed Hardy–wearing acolytes and unapologetic sex appeal—marked the Miami debut of the designer’s new swim licenses. While silhouettes stuck to a familiar range of classic boardshorts and briefs, sexy bikini and maillot shapes, the prints were a catalog of the brand’s signature tattoo-inspired images. Tigers, geishas, skulls, hearts, pinups, roses, crowns, poker cards, eagles and dragons—all with Audigier’s requisite mix of studs, crystals, foil and sparkle—made appearances. The French designer also paid homage to Los Angeles, his adopted city and home base, with a collection of suits boasting the City of Angels’ cityscape and East L.A.–tinged graphics. —E.B.
