Fashion Projects Pop Up in Miami

Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 kicks off its 10th edition next week. And while, yes, the experience revolves around the main fair at the convention center and the satellite fairs, this is also the time when brands of all varieties assert their art credibility. Here we count four of the more promising projects, resulting in beachside events, shows, and pop-up shops.

FENDI Casa, the Italian brand's home furnishing line, and Beats by Dr. Dre are working together to honor artist Nick Cave and his famed "Soundsuits." Viewers are invited to enter individual sound stations that house videos of figures in Cave's soundsuits, with headphones playing Dr. Dre's beats, to which the figure on-screen dances.

Clothier Pringle of Scotland has created a Miami pop-up shop featuring new designs by artist Liam Gillick, under the name liamgillickforpringleofscotland, available for summer 2012. Friday, Dec. 2 sees the shop launch with a dinner and cocktail reception hosted by the artist and his galleries Casey Kaplan (New York) and Eva Presenhuber (Zurich), with Pringle design director Alistair Carr and actress Tilda Swinton.

In its second year joining the Art Basel festivities, clothing designer Bally releases a capsule collection based on works that Olaf Breuning created for June's Art Basel in Switzerland. The new designs will be unveiled Nov. 30 at the Grove at the W Hotel, but will not be available in Bally stores until this spring.

Perhaps most in tune with Miami style, beachwear brand Havaianas commissioned Brazilian graffiti artist Finók to create a graffiti installation at the Shelborne Hotel, which will then be mimicked on the brand's flip-flops, available for take-home. Finók's graffiti process will be open for the public to observe.


View of Miami's The Webster.