Few women look good in bikinis. In fact, I can count them on both hands. First, the always-relevant women like Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot, then currently relevant ones like Halle Berry and Miranda Kerr. After them, us. Bikinis generally have a way of making so-called “real women” feel bad about their “zone of contention” (as the Vatican once—accurately—dubbed the naval region) and pretty much every other part. So most Canadian women— who are not genetic lottery winners, i.e. Brazilian—will not wear suit bottoms with ample butt cleavage or string bikinis.
Both were plentiful at Tosca Delfino. It was a barely-there affair with super-slinky swimsuits in several different cuts—bandeaus, tankinis, halter tops with plunging necklines and cutout maillots. But for whom?
Delfino, a Milan-based swimwear designer who’s often inspired by her travels, took to the Cayman Islands for her collection (not by coincidence: their tourist board sponsored her show). The show opened with a short clip of her friend, Leta Forbister, overlooking a vast expanse of turquoise water, ready to skydive in—what else?—a bikini. The high-waisted dolphin-print two-piece sported by Forbister was one of the more promising, i.e. flattering, numbers. Ditto the citrusy lemon bandeau and another retro-inspired style in an aerial beachview print with the water cleverly positioned. Not so clever: a retro-print bikini with a fringe-embellished derriere (a ruffled rump looks good on the 1%, maybe).
The rest of the collection’s palette was decidedly earthy: greys, blues, browns. Many of the pieces had Delfino’s signature laid-back, bohemian vibe, from paisley to psychedelic kaleidoscope prints. The accompanying cover-ups were largely of the sheer variety, which were lovely to look at if not entirely wearable. Once in a while, the glossy styling trumped some of the quieter pieces—especially with the quirky headpieces and statement necklaces.
Tosca Delfino’s swimwear came in a vast range, but her models did not—another issue for another story. At the end of the show, the designer appeared on the runway in an electric blue dress accessorized with a sunny yellow belt. That’s when I wished she’d injected more of those strong, tropical colours into her collection. We were visiting the Cayman Islands, after all.
