Some of the biggest models, like Tyson Beckford, top fashion designers, like Camilla Franks, as well as emerging NFT artists showed up this year at the Miami Swim Week event at the Faena Forum, from July 14-17, 2022. Dr. Laura, president of DRL Agency, an agency specializing in brand activation and investor relations, was the art curator this year for the four day art and fashion show.
Featured Art
Featured in the immersive art show was a sneak peek of the “Crypto Whales” conservation NFT project, created by acclaimed street artist and muralist Skott Marsi, a live mural painting (a crowd favorite) by Colombian artist Juliana Plexxo that came to life through augmented reality technology, as well as Xverso’s NFTs by artist Lans King, shown on digital canvases with matching light accents, sponsored by Uplight Miami. In the VIP lounge area, digital NFT art by Beryl Bilici was artistically displayed on a Blackdove sponsored digital canvas.
Dr. Laura was also behind an art and fashion collaboration runway show with Luciana Martinez, the designer of Lybethras Swimwear, the #1 Brazilian swimwear brand, featured fourteen years consecutively in Sport Illustrated.
Martinez showcased a stunning one of a kind black and gold chained bikini on Kayla Hodges, who walked for “Girl From The Future,” and launched a new art inspired bikini line “Girl From Ipanema,” showcased on the rest of the models.
NFT Runway Fashion?
The NFT art shown on the 3 runway screens, created by artist Beryl Bilici, was of a futuristic avatar in a bikini holding three metallic balloons, walking on what appeared to be a futuristic runway, while Hodges walked simultaneously on the runway holding three gold balloons.
“I wanted to creatively display NFT art on a runway show, which has never been done before. However, this whole art/fashion project is an empowerment piece for women to represent a future where models are more than about what they look like, but it is about who they are. “Girl From The Future” represents a woman who is smart, sexy, perfectly imperfect, strong, and bold.
This part of the Lybethras fashion show was about the impact that a model can create in the world. In the future, I envision that a model that walks is not just a body that walks by, but she is a woman with a compelling story to tell, she is accomplished, she is impactful, and her heart is one of gold, which is everything Kayla represented to me when I chose her,” said Dr. Laura.
Hodges was chosen out of thousands by DRL Agency and Lybethras to represent “Girl from the Future” because she was the “#1 Female Sales Trainer Under 30,” an international speaker, coach and business partner of a multi-million dollar company (highticketcoaching.com). She has worked alongside high level entrepreneurs such as Tony Robbins, Gary Vee, Alex Hormozi and others.
“Kayla represents breaking the norms of what a traditional runway model is because she is not a full time model. In fact, she is a single mother, a successful businesswoman (with tattoos), and is not represented by any model agencies. More importantly, she is also dedicated to raising awareness for women who are victims of domestic violence in the USA and third world countries. I wanted this art and fashion collaboration to break boundaries and to send a message for change,” said Dr. Laura.
Perhaps the biggest headline on Friday night at the Faena Forum was “Girl From The Future,” envisioned by Dr. Laura, because it was much more than a fashion runway show with NFT art.
”I am walking for any woman that has been sexualized in business, any woman or man that has been through verbal, mental, physical, or sexual abuse, anyone that has been told that you are not good enough, any mom who feels like they cannot have it all. Tonight, I walk for you,” said Hodges.
