Hip Beachwear Wins the Crowd at Men's Night

Splatter-painted skivvies, tattoo-art board shorts, graphic printed tees and hunky models energize Jamie Paul Holahan's runway show at Fashion Week El Paseo.
BY ERIN WEINGER

Oh, this guy is hot, said an attendee of last night's Jamie Paul Holahan show at Fashion Week El Paseo. She was of course referring to the models, particularly the dudes, who stole the show away from the clothes.

Holahan, a pro at making gear for the spring break set courtesy of stints at Liz Claiborne Swimwear, Pac Sun, Nautica and Quicksilver, showed floral bandeau bikinis, racy one-pieces with crystal detailing and striped triangle tops fit for land or sea.

But once the first model appeared wearing a dragon tattoo-art, button-down shirt that was anything but buttoned down, no one really cared what the clothes looked like.

Yes, yes, yes! a middle-aged woman shouted from her perch in the back, where she hollered and snapped pictures with a group of girlfriends. Her model donned a pair of skull and roses swim trunks and flashed a flirty, camera-ready smile as he reached the end of the runway. I hope that one with the abs comes out next.

Holahan's lively casting complimented his fun, young beachwear. And in an industry where catwalkers usually look sullen, sulking and in need of a hearty meal, it was a welcome change.

This show was so high energy, said Peter Porte, 25. Porte was one of the men who strutted his stuff in nothing more than Holahan's splatter-painted skivvies, tattoo-art board shorts and graphic printed tees. With the help of beach balls, sand toys and their extremely ripped bodies, the models danced, gyrated and ripped off their shirts as if they were the hired help at a bachelorette weekend.

The star of the show was a pair of silver foil pants paired with a very now looking brown leather and turquoise stone belt. But it was hard to tell if the audience cheers were for the spage-age garb or the could-be Tyson Beckford twin sporting them.

Nick Hounslow, a London-bred, baby faced model who walked in the show, laughed and shrugged off insistence that he himself overshadowed the clothes.  No, no, he said. It was the board shorts. I love them. They remind me of a climate not where I'm from.

Incidentally, no other board shorts shown in this week's fashion festivities received a standing ovation or caused fans to ask for model autographs after the show.

View photos from the fashion event at the Hip Beachwear Wins the Crowd at Men's Night article at Palm Springs Life.

Learn more about men's beachwear from the men's beachwear guide here on Apparel Search.

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