Miami Vice Fashion

871 Words4 Pages
You can still find a lot of carefully trimmed scruffy faces. There are plenty of tight dresses _ cleavage too. And looking cool still costs a ton of money. But even while they hold on to many of the key looks of Miami Vice's TV days, those making the scene in Miami Beach now look much more laid-back than their 1980s counterparts, style watchers say. "There is a huge change in fashion and in the beach in general," said Gerry Kelly, who has owned several nightclubs on the beach. "There is a huge emergence of a more casual nightlife," said Kelly, who like other Miami tastemakers is looking forward to the opening of the new Miami Vice movie July 28. In the 1980s, people like Gianni Versace, the Italian fashion designer who also worked as a costume designer on the TV series, helped shape the look. Now, you see the influences of hip-hop and rap: Lil' Kim and Sean (Diddy) Combs make the scene and bring their own version of couture, mixing denim and diamonds. Russell Simmons' Phat Farm and Baby Phat lines host parties, introducing their new collections and even handing out free clothing to fans who go to see them at the nightclub. "Tommy Hilfiger brought in a very casual, sport, urban collection, which seemed to dominate the theme," Kelly said. The urban look changed the dress code at nightclubs by allowing sneakers _ such as a $400 US Rocawear pair _ inside the hotspots. A growing Latino population also has influenced what's hot: Instead of sporting the white jackets and sockless loafers look that Don Johnson popularized as Detective Sonny Crockett, men are more likely to wear linen Guayabera shirts or shorts with flip-flops. And how about that flashy jewelry? Check out one episode of Miami Vice from 1984, and there's Philip Michael Thomas, who played Detective Ricardo Tubbs, wearing a gold medallion, prominently displayed with an open collared shirt. That's

More about Miami Vice Fashion

Open Document