Held yearly in Miami Beach, Miami Swim Week is THE leading fashion swimwear event, attracting huge retailers and claiming the title of the biggest platform for the swimwear industry.
Swim Week begins with SWIMSHOW — the largest and longest-running trade show for swimwear fashion, taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The show offers buying & selling opportunities for the best brands and buyers from around the world, boasting over 2,500 brands and 3,000 buyers from over 60 different countries.
This year’s Swim Week will take place on July 11th to 16th.
We spoke to MP Management models who took part in our Swim Week Campaign, to hear their thoughts on the phenomenon that is Miami swim week!
Andrea Shoemaker
Andrea describes herself as a city girl despite growing up in the Midwest. She loves travelling and is currently located in Miami, as she absolutely loves the constant hot weather. Her modelling career is her number one priority, and will soon be travelling to NYC for work. She has many different interests and is excited to discover what direction life will take her in after modelling. In college, she studied Public Health and Psychology, but since then she’s developed a strong interest in both fashion and real estate.
Q&A’s:
Where would be your dream location to wear a swimsuit, and why? ”Honestly, there are way too many to pick. It would definitely be a new place though. The world is full of amazing bio-diverse and beautiful places I’d love to visit. A few of my top places would have to be Madagascar, Indonesia, and Australia.”
What are your beach essentials? ”Hmmm. A water bottle, sunscreen for my face, tanning oil with SPF for my body, and a friend. Also, I like to wear jewellery to the beach, I don’t know if that is weird, but usually a couple of layered necklaces and a small pair of earrings.”
What’ your favourite smell? ”Gasoline. It’s the only weird smell that I like, but I love it.”
If you could go back in time, where would you go? ”This is a hard question because there are so many interesting periods of history. However, history is also full of cruelty and misfortune, which would be hard to see, so I suppose I would go back to the time before we existed and see what the world was like untouched by humans.”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? ”Never stop learning. There is always more to be discovered.”
What is your guilty karaoke song? ”Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot. I know every word.”
What is your most unappealing habit? ”I am quite impatient. I’m trying to work on that.”
What did you want to be when you were growing up? ”I wanted to be an archaeologist for the longest time when I was a kid.’
Priscilla Ricart
From Rio de Janeiro, Priscilla is proud of her Brazilian background. Her parents are personal trainers, which lead her to always have a healthy lifestyle. She comes from a close family and started her professional modelling career at the age of 13, with her first work trip to China aged 15. Priscilla is happy to be living her dream of modelling and travelling the world, but loves living in Miami which she now views as home. She loves the hot weather and enjoys doing outdoor activities and working out. Her plan is to keep following her dream and reaching her goals.
Q&A’s:
What are your beach essentials? ”I just need a bikini, beach towel and a hat. Or Just a bikini and I am ready.”
When are you happiest? ”When I’m with my family.”
What do you like most about your appearance? ”My smile.”
What makes you angry? ”When I am nice to somebody and this person is rude to me.”
Describe your perfect weekend: ”With my family/friends enjoying nature. Going to the beach, or travelling to the mountains, hiking, doing something outdoors.”
What is your most treasured possession? ”My family is the most precious thing I have.”
Which words/phrases o you most overuse? ”AMAZING.”
What did you want to be when you were growing up? ”I always wanted to be a model.”
What is your earliest memory? ”Playing with Barbie.”
Where would you most like to be right now? ”At the gym, always at the gym.”
Asa Stensson
Asa comes from Hunnebostrand, a small seaside town in Sweden. Being so close to the ocean made it easy for her to learn sailing and fishing. She loves water sports and her favourite sport is kite surfing. She’s currently based in Miami, where she discovered a love for yoga, which has brought her a new tranquillity and happiness. At the age of 18, she became a full-time model and immediately started travelling around the world. She completed almost all her University studies online while modelling. In 2013, she got her Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.
Q&A’s:
Where would be your dream location to wear a swimsuit, and why? ”I have always wanted to visit Hawaii to experience its gorgeous nature.”
What are your beach essentials? ”Book, sunglasses, water, my Brazilian-flag sarong, sunscreen.”
What do you like most about your appearance? ”I have always been proud of my hair colour, it’s naturally very blonde so I have therefore never had to colour it.”
What is your favourite smell? ”Pepparkakor (that is Swedish gingerbread-thins). BEST THING EVER!”
What are your guiltiest pleasures? ”Red wine and brie cheese.”
What makes you angry? ”I’m a strong believer in gender equality and human rights. I love the yoga mantra: May all beings everywhere be happy and free…”
Ajahnae Baker
Ajahnae is from Miami and she loves playing volleyball. On the age of 17, she started modelling by walking in her first swim week show. As a child, she always wanted to become a firefighter!
Q&A’s:
Where would be your dream location to wear a swimsuit, and why? ”Greece and more specifically on the island of Crete also known as the (Pink sand beach).”
What are your beach essentials? ”Sunscreen/body bronzer, young coconut or coconut water, speakers for music, your crystals, beach towel, a volleyball.”
Which book changed your life? ”The Power of Now.”
What is your guilty karaoke song? ”Dangerously in love.”
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? ”Drake.”
Don Robinson
Don is from St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands and moved to Florida age 8. When he was 18, instead of going to college like his peers, he decided to move to Alaska to pursue a career in the oil industry. He worked in the Arctic Ocean, Korea, Singapore and the Gulf of Mexico. During a vacation in Las Vegas, people encouraged him to apply to become a model, and after giving it a shot decided to pursue a full-time career in the modelling industry. His hobbies include mixed martial arts (which he competes on an amateur level), skateboarding and snowboarding.
Q&A’s
Where would be your dream location to wear a swimsuit, and why? ”My dream location to wear a swimsuit is definitely on a yacht sailing the Mediterranean with a bottle of champagne, because I’ve never been to that side of the world and if the pictures do it any justice I’d be in heaven.”
What are your beach essentials? ”My beach essentials are my towel, my phone (for the tunes), water, and a few good people to keep me company.”
What did you want to be when growing up? ”I wanted to be a pilot like all of the other men in my family but I clearly went a different route.”
When are you happiest? ”As cheesy as it sounds I’m happiest when I’m helping others, I can’t explain it but there’s just something about helping people that makes me feel great inside.”
Who would play you in the film of your life? ”The obvious choice is Justin Bieber because we’re virtually identical.. HA! All jokes aside it’d have to be like Michael B. Jordan or Kendrick Sampson as both men are phenomenal actors.”
What is your guilty karaoke song? ”Not very many people know this but I’m actually a Maroon 5 fan, that song “Cold”. I definitely give Adam Levine a run for his money.”
Adriana Marrero
Half Ecuadorian half Cuban, Adriana loves going to the beach to surf, play volleyball, tan, and swim. She also likes to run, travel and shop, She’s currently a student at FIU and her plans, once she graduates, is to go to law school and work on criminal cases.
At the age of 15, her parents placed her in an etiquette school where the owner was convinced she’d make a great model and decided to help by teaching Adriana how to walk in heels, have a good posture and feel comfortable in front of a camera. As soon as she mastered these skills, she decided to give the modelling industry a try and went to an open call at MP Management Miami. She was signed straight away and now she’s also represented by Chicago & Milan.
Q&A’s:
What is the trait you most favour in others? ”My favourite trait in others is honesty because that can build or break relationships for me.”
What are your guiltiest pleasures? ”My guiltiest pleasure is a crepe. I am obsessed with the ‘black and red’ which is Nutella with strawberry and whipped cream on top.”
What 3 things are top of your bucket list? ”Top three things on my bucket list consist of being a part of Victoria’s Secret fashion show, seeing the Northern lights, and bungee jump.”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? ”The most important lesson life has taught me is not taking life too seriously and living in the moment.”
What is your guilty karaoke song? ”My guilty karaoke song is Summer Nights because I love the movie Grease. I watch it at least once a month and I sing along the whole time.”
Shira Huss
Shira is from Austria and studied Early Childhood Education in Miami. She is interested in art, fashion and sports. Her modelling career started in Austria, at the age of 16. She then worked in Paris before moving to the U.S.
Q&A’s:
When are you happiest? ”When I work out, spend time with family & friends.”
The favourite thing you’ve ever bought? ”My puppy Layla.”
Which book changed your life? ”The Secret.”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? ”Always believe in yourself and never give up on any of your goals in life no matter how often you fail in something.”
What is your favourite smell? ”Versace Bright Crystal.”
Danielle Lauer
Danielle grew up in Michigan but currently lives in South Florida. She loves going outside in the warm weather, heading to the beach or pool, trying out different restaurants with her friends, writing and reading. She’s also a big fan of photography.
She started modelling at the age of 16 after attending an open call at a modelling agency, and was signed on the spot! She’s been modelling ever since and even worked as an agent for a year.
Q&A’s:
When are you happiest? ”I’m happiest outdoors, in the sunshine, especially if I am by the water or at the beach!”
What is your unique trait? ”I’m really silly and I think it’s the weird quirkiness about my personality that sets me apart from other people.”
What is your guilty pleasure? ”My biggest guilty pleasure is napping. Give me a nap over a party or work out any day.”
What did you want to be growing up? ”Growing up I wanted to be a meteorologist. I was always so bad at math that it never became a reality and I went to school for writing instead, since it was something that came so much more naturally to me.”
What is your favourite smell? ”My favourite smell is probably bacon.”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? ”Life has taught me that no matter what, it keeps going and you have to, too. Even when you think something is the end of the world, the world doesn’t stop turning – and sometimes you just have to be strong and go along with it in order to find your true happiness.”