Red Carter Swimwear 2011
High art was the theme for Red Carter's 2011 swimwear show. The designer showed his latest collection at Miami's Bass Museum of Art, placing some of models right among Renaissance and Impressionist paintings in a pre-show exhibition. With the museum mood set, and program notes directly referencing art icons like Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko, the actual runway show began with a swimwear collection that was more pop-fun than stuffy Baroque.
This is a straight up party collection, with a lot of rock-and-roll studding, punk camouflage and Union Jacks, and disco, with actual mirror-ball embellishments. Red Carter is also a fan, it seems, of Lady Gaga, with much of the decorative accessories on the models mimicking the pop star's looks. This may not be the most practical collection for a sandy beach, but for a high-class pool party, it may get top billing.
MEGAN - Red, we had a lot of different inspirations for this show.
RED - Yes.
MEGAN - How did we pull the collection, what's the main inspiration here?
RED - There are two themes, generally, it was called from Pop Art to High Art. What we tried to do, we're here at the Bass Museum in Miami Beach, and we're really trying to reach out to the artist in me and try to bring that out onto the runway.
MEGAN - What a great place, how did you choose the Bass Museum?
RED - We are really lucky. I've been here a few times and been here to experience the art. It's just a great place to come and visit and see beautiful things, and so it inspired me to create the collection.
MEGAN - So when in doubt, wear Red? That's what they say, right?
RED - That's what they say!
MEGAN - How do you feel about that?
RED - I'm very pleased, I hope it continues.
MEGAN - Can you live up to it?
RED - I'm doing my best, how did I do?
MEGAN - You did very well, I loved it, I really loved it!
RED - Thank you I wanted you to have a cinematic experience, I hope it happened.
MEGAN - It did, it did. Now, one more question, we all need to know.. the Bunny.. What was the Bunny mask??
RED - I just sort of thought that maybe people should follow the white rabbit, it was just sort of a funny thing, and I just thought, I don't know, maybe we should have fun with this. We got very serious in the end, and I thought bikini's should be fun. I wanted people to laugh, and I think we got a little giggle at the end, so I don't know.
MEGAN - I think we did.
RED - Good!
MEGAN - It was really fun!
