Spotlight: Fab swimwear designer Lila Nikole Rivera keeps it sexy

This week’s Spotlight column features swimwear designer Lila Nikole Rivera, known for her collection of couture swim pieces, Lila Nikole Swimwear Collection. The collection uses an excitingly stylish combination of the finest quality materials with embellishments including natural jeweled pieces, wooden chunks, rare stones and gems all used to accentuate her one-of-a-kind pieces.  We askedLila to tell us about her loves, inspirations and more. All of this is leading up to her fashion show on Sunday, July 19 at the newly opened W Fort Lauderdale Hotel.

1. How would you describe your designs?

I would describe my designs as garments full of color, life and creative visual elements, spunky and never dull. Definitely not your every day traditional pieces. I think they are fun and each has their own distinctive accents that bring flare to the design elements.

2. What inspires you when you are designing?

My inspiration for design always comes from my travels, the music I listen to and the emotions that I am experiencing during that particular time in my life. I designed a whole collection just listening to Jimmy Hendrix and The Doors for days on end. I also designed a full collection based on blacks, metallic and very sharp and edgy pieces when I was going thru a hard time in my life, funny party about that story is it was the best selling collection and was rated one of the best swimwear collections of 2007 by Fashion TV.

3. What type of woman do you design for?

The Lila Nikole Swimwear Collection is designed for a fashion forward, trend setting woman who is not afraid of color or ambitious design elements that are sure to set her aside from the crowd.

4. What celebrity would be your pick to wear your swimwear and why?

I think the celebrity I would pick to wear my line would be Eva Mendez or Beyonce. I think these two women are exceptionally classy, trendsetters and have a grace and elegance about them. They are the perfect examples of an Lila Nikole  woman, as she demands all attention when she walks in to a room.

5. What's the place you're most likely to be found when your not designing or showcasing your work?

I crave new experiences and exploring new places. So when I am not at in “the lab”, as we call it, I am out seeking new ideas and traveling, meeting new people and learning about different cultures.

6. What do you have in store for the rest of 2009? What can your customers expect?

I am currently in the process of setting up my own store/ boutique. I am hoping we will be up and running by January of the upcoming year. I am also currently working on the children’s line. I always get request for custom little girls suits and enjoy making the pieces and love seeing the little girls wearing my designs.

Written by Miami Events ExaminerJoseph Quinones