VA Swim Week Returns for Another Season Embracing Local Designers and Body Diversity
Runway models pose behind the scene for VA Swim Week on Sunday afternoon at Virginia Beach.
VIRGINIA BEACH—Local bikini-clad models and swimwear designers united to showcase their latest collections at Oceanfront’s 24th Street Stage late Sunday afternoon.
Richmond Fashion Week, also known as RVAFW, returned with its second season of hosting VA Swim Week, a fashion week showcasing local designers’ latest swimwear collections. The swim week had participating designers from both Richmond and Hampton Roads such as Pretty Gurl Kouture, FalIn the Brand, Class of Ambition, House of Namor, 757 Couture, Poolside Cooking, Team Lamb, Following Dory and Coastal Edge.
Each runway collection lasted about 10 to 15 minutes, showcasing and highlighting each designers’ style and message. Models of all shapes and sizes strutted effortlessly with their long legs and stilettos down the runway as they posed for the cameras, moving to the beat of hip hop and house summer songs.
Creative director and fashion designer Ryan Azia joked to the event managers about the idea of hosting a fashion swim week, which initiated inspiration from major regional cities such as D.C. Swim Week.
“I said, ‘well ok, let’s do a VA Swim Week, but it has to be in Virginia Beach,’” Azia said. “Reason being is, this area is the most populated area. It’s a very nice beach, it [sic] has its own culture here.”
Pretty soon, the joke became a serious idea that came true last year in July as RVAFW hosted its first teaser show at Monroe Hotel’s Rooftop Bar in Hampton.
“It was a little challenging because it’s something new that we’re doing,” Azia said. “But, also, we’re based in Richmond and they [swimwear designers] are based in Virginia Beach, so a lot of it was communication going back and forth almost everyday.”
This year, not only more designers have participated in the swim week, but more than 70 models have auditioned to walk the runway.
“Models are [sic] coming from everywhere, all the way from D.C., Northern Virginia and here,” Azia also said. “All different sizes and different diversities to give everyone an opportunity.”
VA Swim Week runway model and Miss Bikini Tropics 2023, Aspen Brown, walked swim week after hearing about the event conceptualization from Azia and RVAFW co-founder, Jimmy Budd. Brown got into modeling after growing up watching America’s Next Top Model and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, as well as becoming interested in Miami Fashion Week.
“Before I even participated in the [Miss Bikini Tropics 2023] pageant, I knew it was something I wanted to be more involved with,” she said. “It’s my home state and I want to be involved as much as I can.”
Brown, who’s also a petite model, said it also feels nice for the VA Swim Week not to hold a specific height or size requirement, in comparison to bigger fashion week cities.
“It is nice not to have to be that 5’9” requirement for women to model and there’s more diversity on the runway,” she said. “I really think it gives the opportunity for everyone. I had a friend who I convinced to do the casting call for this because she’s like, ‘oh no, I’m too short,’ and I was like, ‘girl, you’re not too short. You’re around the same height as me. We can do this.’”
“It really is exciting to see people who think that this opportunity is not for them, but being able to tell them, ‘you’re not too short, you’re not too thick, we love all the curves, we love everything,’” Brown also said. “I really enjoy swim week because you also get to show your personality here and you get to bring that to the runway.”
Designer Woob Cudi of FalIn the Brand, which was founded in 2017 but began designing swimwear in 2018, also embraces different size ranges in his collection.
“Swimwear is kind of unique for me because I get to showcase it at events like this, as opposed to selling it,” he said. “[The collection] comes from extra small all the way to plus-size. I have that capability of making everything from scratch to whatever size you need.”
As Virginia Beach-based swimwear brand Following Dory ended the show and the remaining models strutted backstage, cheers could be heard in the background, the sun set and the beach’s salty wind blew, marking the end of the summer season.
“I’m very happy and anxious,” Azia said. “There’s always a lot of pressure to pull off something great. RVA Fashion Week has been around for 15 years. [...] I love it. I’m very happy for the growth and also very anxious and very cautious because we want to make the right decisions and we want to make sure that we do right by the city and by the people and in a creative situation where everybody wins.”
RVAFW will host its Fall Fashion Week from Oct. 2 to 8. Applications for volunteers, makeup artists and hair stylists are out now. More details will be released soon.
Richmond Fashion Week, or RVAFW, was founded in 2008 and is an event organization highlighting and celebrating Richmond’s fashion and art community. The fashion event organization hosts fashion week based on the fashion season calendar, spring/summer, fall/winter, as well as swim week. RVAFW heavily collaborates with local businesses, college students and up-and-coming fashion designers to help grow their platform, social media presence and establish themselves within the fashion industry.
— Paula J.P. Article edited by Rebecca Barnabi, National Editor of Augusta Free Press
