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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – From the balcony to the street, rain or shine, swim models are out and about here on South Beach this weekend for Miami Swim Week 2019.
Early Friday morning, hundreds of young women lined up outside the W on South Beach for a casting call for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
Chopper 4 captured morning video of the women waiting in line for their chance to be in the coveted magazine and walk-in Sports Illustrated Swim Show.
“Oh, my God if I was selected I would scream and cry! I’d have to call my mom and dad. I don’t even know,” said model Asia Hernandez.
“For me, it will honestly just open up a door for me to help other people, being a positive influencer is what I’m all about. It would be a dream come true. That’s for sure,” said model and businesswoman Maya Asha Underwood.
Runway shows and pop-up events will be happening all around town this weekend.
Here at Paraiso Fashion tent off 22nd and Collins Avenue, some 30-plus runway shows and activations will be presented by top brands and start-ups in swimwear. Plus a consumer-driven pop-up double-decker overlooking Miami Beach, where swim aficionados can shop till you drop.
On the top floor of the bungalow, celebrity chef Brad Kilgore has a pop-up restaurant.
“It’s growing and growing. As you can see, we have a lot more venues than before. We are just bringing these upscale experiences along with the fashion shows,” said Paraiso founder Sale Stojanovic.
Sustainability gets a stamp here as well, as Paraiso Miami Beach joins forces with The Upcycle Project to develop The Upcycle Challenge.
“The Upcycle Project is a platform that raises awareness on the waste that the fashion industry creates, and it helps creators, designers and brands rethink all of that waste to remake it something beautiful,” said Gabriella Smith, Founder of the Upcycle Project.
Debuting this year is Nu Wave Swim, taking over the Miami Beach Botanical Garden this weekend.
Nu Wave is founded by Miami’s World Red Eye founder, Seth Browarnik, who is changing things up with a fresh new approach to celebrate swimwear.
“Nu Wave swim is a brand new experiential platform that we e created to give designer and buyers and our locals a place they can call home in an amazing environment an urban oasis in the middle of Miami Beach,” said Browarnik.
Designer Amahlia Stevens, from the top swim brand Vitamin A is Friday night’s showcase designer.
“This is definitely our most important time of the year. It is the time to present the new collections to buyers, to press and to make a splash,” said Stevens.