Event: Backstage with Rosa Cha designer, Amir Slama
The place: Poolside at the Raleigh Hotel, 18th & Collins
Timestamp: 6:40pm, July 11, 2007
Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Photography, J. Ecochard
We had a few words with Rosa Cha designer, Amir Slama before he presented his cruise 2008 collection poolside to a gaggle of buyers, press, and industry V.I.P’s . Rather than the typical seated runway show, Mr. Slama had the models walk about the pool deck in an informal modeling format, which worked beautifully with the laid-back atmosphere at the Raleigh.
Mr. Slama, “Amir” to everyone in the biz, is one of the most personable designers we’ve met to date. In his latest collection, he successfully takes-on the alchemy between art, history, fashion and attitude. While showing select pieces from the collection, Amir spoke of his inspiration for the 2008 line.
“I was inspired by the Tropicalism movement that took place at the end of the 1960’s. Tropicalism was a bunch of movements mixed-together – Surrealism mixed with music, and poetry. What is especially interesting is that it was an attempt to take what was a success on a local level and make it universal. In the case of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, they were able to take their music from their part of England and turn it into an international sensation.”
Bringing it back to the bathing suit business, Amir believes that what women want right now is comfort. While recently in New York, he noticed “many young women wearing casual dresses that could easily go from the beach to the streets and vice-versa”. Consequently, there were a good number of beautiful cover-ups in strong colors on the racks that were miles removed from the simple sarong cover-ups that will do for a trip to the beach but not for much else. There are resort wear pieces mixed in, such as dresses featuring plunging necklaces inspired by Parangoles, the famous moving sculptures by Brazilian artist Helio Oiticica. Also on the line are floaty shifts, and separates such as bubble tops and dresses.
Sometimes a suit is more than just a suit as Amir proved when he held up an intricately hand-embroidered nude bikini with Jane Mansfield style pleat work that qualifies as couture. It’s so exquisitely made that you’ll want to keep in your bathing suit collection for years to come.
Beach baby hair: The Beach Boys [what’s left of the group] might well have been singing about the models that artist Rob Scheppy styled to walk for Rosa Cha.
How to get beach touseled locks: Says Rob, “Roller set your hair, letting it out at the last moment when it’s hot and humid. Next, F—k it all up with pomade and move it around with your hand until you like the way it looks."