Saving the Planet with itsy bitsy BIKINIS

A necklace of fabrics barely cover the breasts

This past weekend, I was prepared to do battle to fight off the head cold that would prevent me from attending THE event in July.  Swim Week in Miami. So this beleaguered body took a three hour nap, ingested a handful of echinacea vitamins and drank green tea until I regained my strength. A big night lay ahead. It's about saving the planet, one itsy bitsy bikini at a time. No super powers required.

As a local blogger, I received an "invite-only" to attend Haute Natured at the swanky Setai hotel in South Beach. The event touched on three cornerstones--fashion, drilling down to bathing suits and incorporated eco sensitivity. Haute Natured is the first annual sustainable swimwear show featuring innovative swimwear collections ranging from recycled and repurposed fabrics to solar-powered bikinis—all to benefit the Seakeeper’s Society and raise environmental awareness. They thought of everything!



Outdoor courtyard dotted with palm trees.

 Over 500 of Miami’s A-List and eco-conscious influencers were in attendance for the carbon-neutral event, as well as executives representing top environmental lifestyle brands and media.

As one of the first guests or media to arrive, I was escorted to the "green" carpet for my photo opp. (What on "earth" am I wearing? Dull and boring--sorry the cough medicine  drowned by fashion brain cells. But at least I wore all black for the slim look).



Christine with Miss Earth Florida



Christine meets other attendees

 
Then I sashayed over to the courtyard where a 50 foot “walk-on-water” runway shone a spotlight on designs made from recycled bottles, upcycled fabrics and repurposed military parachutes. What stood out? They trend is "transparency". Not the bathing suits but the caftan and leg coverups.

Fabulous use of repurposed parachute material

Eco designers shared that using sustainable materials poses a lot of challenges. In fact, according to Jenni Saylor, from Eco Swim, she thinks it’s impossible to make a suit that will appeal to women without at least a little spandex, AKA lycra, which is the stuff that makes a suit cling in the right places.
However her swimwear line is breaking the barriers.

“Eco-cell’’ foam bra cups, made with biodegradable plant oil, are one of Eco Swim’s big features. The suits are made from recycled nylon, polyester and cotton. Saylor stressed fabric isn’t picked from old clothes bins but comes fully processed and cleaned from manufacturers.

Bathings suits are typically constructed of man-made materials specifically designed to dry quickly or hold shape. That often means they contain chemicals and are nearly impervious to the forces of a compost heap. Polyester is actually made from the same stuff as many plastic bottles, polyethylene terephthalate.

Designer Linda Loudermilk (from Luxury Eco) debuted what she billed as the world’s first fully compostable bathing suit. It’s fashioned from a plant starch, she said, that has been turned into a fabric so new she just got her hands on it five days before the event. She said the suit won’t dissolve on a woman’s body, but bury it under dirt, like in a land fill, and it would break down within 180 days — leaving not a single spandex strap, blot of chemical dye or foam bra cup insert behind.
The show signaled a shift from the hippie era where the cluncky Birkenstock sandal defined environmental fashion. The swimsuits covered the gamut of a modest 50's one- piece polka dot suit, to the traditional two piece to Miami risque.

Below are the highlights of the more ecclectic and risque swimsuits  plus my favorite.

The first one is the barely-there loin cloth and cut out triangles covering the nipples. I call it the "Jane has Jungle Fever" bathing suit.  Will add this to my "when I'm stranded on deserted island" survival kit along with my eyelash curler and ziploc bags (Hey if I want to be rescued I better look decent!).

Jane has Jungle Fever; Wants Tarzan!

 

The unrecycled trash that hurts the ecosystem is used instead as decorative hardware. Below is a bathing suit adorned with plastic bottle caps and the plastic liner that holds a six-pack.

Now at my grocery store they offer suggestions on how to reuse the plastic grocery bags. They need to add one more usage. See below.


Bathing suit made of plastic bags


You can't have a fashion forward show about the earth without one gesture of anti-fur.

Unfortunately I could not read the "fine print" on those bottoms nor did I try.

Designers from Eco Swim, Luxury Eco, Meadow and MAE

So which was my favorite? The olive green number below but with the accessories! But is the jewelry sweat proof? Ocean proof? Who cares! It looks great!

The eco-couture lifestyle is for women who want to balance health and sustainable living and redefine luxury. These designers are answering the demand of women who want a lifestyle choice they can be proud of when choosing what to wear.

So now are you convinced that Going Green can be SEXY? Share your comments below by clicking on "Comments".

To view videos of other brands and runway models at the main hotel, The Raleigh, click here.

Runway Photos are courtesy of Mogul PR. All material is copyrighted.