One Local Swimwear Buyer Reveals This Year's Biggest Swim Trends

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This year, the 33-year-old Miami Swim Show brought in 450 exhibitors that brought 2500 brands to light, Cabana Show brought 136 brands and fun activations (braid bars, anyone?) to two beachy tents at Collins Park, and Hammock (formerly Salon Allure) saw over 530 buyers browse through 96 different swimwear, beachwear, and beauty brands.

Of course, no one knows how to navigate a trade show like a buyer, which is why we tapped in local swimwear site The Orchid Boutique to guide us through four days of Swim Week madness. With her iPhone and buying team in tow, the brand's founder, Mayra Jimenez, set out to find this and next year's biggest swimwear trends. Follow along for a sneak preview of what's to come, through the eyes of a buyer.

Day 1

Day one of Swim Week was a little crazy from the start! We had one appointment at the Miami Swim Show and then we were off to Hammock for the rest of the day. The reps and marketing gals at the L*Space booth were ready to start the fashion feast at Swim Show. Everyone was rusty since it was the first appointment but the collection did not disappoint!

A shade of mint and military green proved to be some of the "in" colors for 2016. Crochet details on swimwear backs and bottoms are still a leading trend as well.

A refreshing soft floral print was a theme shared by key brands, like these from L*Space's Swim 2016 collection.

And it's off to Hammock! At Mikoh, model Leila Dee Thomas was all smiles in the new Mikoh crochet one piece. Business in the front, party in the back. Overall awesome.

Francesca Aiello, the 20-year-old designer (and mega beauty babe!) from Frankie's Bikinis, poses in front of her newest creation. She was excited about introducing clothing to her line, and so were we! Deconstructed looks, teeny bottoms, and flowy dresses (including the one she's wearing) took the cake.

Day 2

On the second day of Swim Week, we attended the Miami Swim Show. We had back to back appointments at the vast Miami Beach Convention Center, so there was fast walking, few bathroom breaks, and a whole lot of fashion boners.

We were SO in love with Seafolly's new campaign with Gigi Hadid, which was shot in Miami. My favorite print from the Seafolly collection were the textured prints with coral accents, pictured above.

At the Vitamin A booth, the new crochet looks were definitely a trend we loved.

The Pily Q collection did not disappoint. Every single piece is gorgeous, especially the crochet trio of pieces that mixed in color and basics.

Day 3

We headed to Cabana for our third day during Swim Week. It was my favorite day, mainly because of its wide array of innovative designers and remarkable swimwear. We saw a lot of our favorite brands, and they didn't disappoint.

The high waist cut-out trend in military green was a great addition to Acacia's 2016 collection. We're all over it.

The super coveted Bettinis crochet tops carried over into 2016 in hot new colors like blush and gray.

Mixing and matching the blush colored trend proves to be cuter than matching, and Bettinis designer Bettina Bell was raving about the new Bettinis hang tag. It's so cute!

It was our lunch break, and the coconuts served at Cabana just had to be shot. Brilliant move, and delicious, too!

The new color waves at Minimale Animale added another pop to those wow pieces.

The iconic firebird pieces with black mesh are here to stay at Minimale Animale. Revamped, reworked, and still flipping badass. As an added option to the firebird styles, studs debuted this year, along with non see through pieces in faux leather.

Day 4

By the fourth day of Swim Week we were exhausted. We hadn't had a day off in two weeks because we were working on the weekends, hitting up the shows at night, and doing a little negotiating in between. But a few must-see brands were still on the list, and off we went. Back to Miami Swim Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center!

A brilliant mix of embroidery, tassel details, and vivid colors that make up the allure of Agua Bendita. This was my favorite look for their 2016 collection.

The mix and match medley of bright, fun prints at Maaji made my day. An obsessed-over underwire silhouette is back, with the same versatile print, and new whimsy.

There was a huge bowl of fabulous options at the Luli Fama booth. The crochet trend in neon and pastel was a standout for me. At the end of the presentation, the Luli rep even gave us a moonwalk! They didn't let me record it, but believe me– it was funny! It was a great closing to an exhausting four days.