Miami Swim Week 2021: Racy duct tape bikinis return to catwalk

If you thought we’d escaped this truly ridiculous swimwear trend, you were wrong. Tiny bikinis made of tape are back – more wild than ever.

It’s been a hot minute since we last saw a truly ridiculous bikini trend.

With everyone stuck inside for most of 2020, there were no festivals or fashion shows to test the water with an itty bitty new swimsuit style.

But a year on and everywhere except Australia is starting to open back up – prompting the return of some daring and downright questionable swimmers.

Ahh, the sweet smell of normality and with it comes the return of the long-forgotten duct tape bikini trend which made a comeback at the 2021 Miami Swim Week.

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After a pandemic-induced hiatus, duct tape bikinis are back. Yay? Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

The fashion trend that nobody asked for and absolutely no women will wear hit the catwalk on Saturday night, with models walked in nothing more than perfectly placed strips of sticky tape in designs created by Joel Alvarez for the Black Project Tape.

We honestly have no idea who would dare attempt one of these “swimsuits” but hey, if you want to, there’s a heap of different designs in the brand’s latest collection.

This year, “minimalist bikinis” comprising of a few pieces of electrical tape over the model’s nether regions, similar to live-action censor bars, were definitely a thing as many were seen strutting along the stage.

There were also a few that resembled the classic “Borat mankini” hopefully without the wedgie though (there are perks to body moulding duct tape after all) – as well as more elaborate “mosaic” style creations.

The latest collection of barely-there ‘swimmers’ are made from electrical tape. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

The latest collection was shown during Miami Swim Week on Saturday. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

The tape varied in colours, from the classic black tape the brand first went viral with in 2017 to metallic green, gold, purple and silver.

Some models had accessories such as bracelets and head pieces also fashioned out of the tape to go with their ‘swimmers’.

In the past, the risque fashion trend has been worn to festivals by the brave, leaving many questioning how they go to the bathroom while wearing it.

While the toilet situation has never been resolved (we are dying to know – please tell us), others have questioned how painful it is to remove.

Alvarez has previously said he used “only skin-safe artistic body tape” to prevent discomfort.

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The tape is apparently ‘skin-safe’ to prevent painful removal. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

Would you wear this to the beach? Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

Elsewhere at Miami Swim Week 2021, many shows have been praised for being “inclusive”, with catwalks featuring women of diverse body types, ages and races – though it appears the duct tape show missed the memo: *face palm*.

In previous years, the event has copped criticism for having a lack of diversity, but the choice of models at this year’s event has been described as “changing the game” after years of campaigning for “real” bodies to appear.

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Originally published as Miami Swim Week 2021: Racy duct tape bikinis return to catwalk