MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Old swimwear styles can still make a splash.

To prove it, Jantzen swimwear company – which celebrated its 100th anniversary on the sidelines of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim – has reinvented five bathing suits from the last century to create its Heritage Collection.

Designers created new suits and cover-ups based on classic styles, a project that coincided with the old-school, glamorous trends seen on the catwalk in South Beach. One thing is clear: retro is definitely back.

Jantzen reinterpreted the woolen suits of the 1920s as a boucle fabric maillot in a red-currant color and Swarovski crystals on the front. It now gets a matching cape.

The ’40s mark the introduction of what’s recognized as the modern bikini and it’s represented in the collection by a skirted two-piece with ruffles. The iconic strapless one-piece from the ’50s that emphasized the hourglass figure was also reinvented, as was a stretch velvet, deep lunging monokini from the 1970s.

From the ’80s, it was the brand’s Mod Squad suit, which had a hood that could be worn draped around the shoulders.

“I wanted to pick what I feel was the best of every decade and make it relevant for today,” said Jantzen designer Lisa Dixon.

Dixon wasn’t the only designer mining the past for inspiration during the swimwear shows. Miami Beach-based designer Red Carter, for example, who sent a model out in a long, black cover-up with short sleeves, said he was influenced by a 1940s glamour girl silhouette.

“I think being at a vintage store is like being in a library,” Carter said. He also said the old Jantzen colors and themes, including the nautical feeling, were inspiring to him.

Meanwhile, The Wolfsonian-Florida International University museum launched a retrospective look at the last 100 years of swimsuits, which includes pieces from the Jantzen archives. The show, called “Beauty on the Beach: A Centennial Celebration of Swimwear” runs until Oct. 11 and examines how styles reflect popular culture and ideas about fitness and beauty.

The earliest swimsuit on display dates to 1910; it is made of wool and was probably a homemade suit. It basically looks like a dress with bloomers under it.

A decade or so later the styles changed dramatically along with the political landscape. As women gained more rights – with the 19th amendment to the Constitution being ratified in 1920 – swimsuits became sleeveless, had a simple V-neck and were made from woven wool, making them more comfortable.

“The idea that women can now expose their bodies … Women were also demanding the right to swim, to go onto the beaches,” said Marianne Lamonaca, the museum’s associate director for curatorial affairs and education.

To complement the exhibit, Lamonaca also asked New York-based photographer Miles Ladin to interpret Miami Beach’s swim culture through his lens for an installation called “Sun Stroke Stimulus.” So, over a week in April, Ladin shot black-and-white photos of unposed sun gods and goddesses.

“I was definitely interested in the whole idea when you are out in these fabulous locations wearing swimwear, you are presenting yourself to the world … It can be a form of aspiration,” he said. “I see it a little bit as a cultural signifier.”

Ladin said he thinks about how as a society we don’t spend enough time looking inwards, how aging gracefully is not part of the national consciousness and how middle-aged actresses, who aren’t even elderly, are having disfiguring surgeries to remain young and fit.

“As a society we need to step back and appreciate other sources of pleasures besides the superficial ones,” he said.
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On the Net:

The Wolfsonian-FIU: http://www.wolfsonian.org/

Jantzen: http://www.jantzen.com/

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AP-ES-07-20-09 1605EDT

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