Sharpie® Creative Markers with Paraiso Miami Swim Week Crowns 2024 Swim Upcycle Challenge Winner at Miami Swim Week

Miami, FL (June 4, 2024): Iconic writing brand Sharpie® sparked creativity through inspiring activations during Paraiso Miami Swim Week’s monumental 20th anniversary. From May 30 to June 2, 2024, Collins Park on Miami Beach transformed into a canvas of ingenuity, as designers and attendees were encouraged to unleash their imagination with Sharpie Creative Markers’ paint-like, no-bleed ink in colors that pop on light and dark surfaces. Designers that participated in the 20 years of style included Oh Polly Swim, Azulu, Luli Fama, Acacia, Chloe Rose Swimwear, Cupshe, PQ Swim, and Beach Bunny to name a few.

As part of this Miami Swim Week initiative, Sharpie® partnered with the annual Swim Upcycle Challenge in collaboration with Paraiso Swim Week and Istituto Marangoni Miami, The Miami School of Fashion & Design, to crown a winner among the competing 5 student finalists. All the talented contestants presented 2 of their works in a runway show format and then took time to explain their looks and inspirations to the audience and judging panel of luminaries including Gina Lazaro, Vice President of Brand Management for Sharpie’s parent company, Newell Brands; Ivy Heilman, Senior Buyer for Intimates, Swim and Active at Anthropologie; Keili Leahy, Senior Buyer at Urban Outfitters; and Madison Rexroat, ELLE Magazine.

After careful deliberation, the judging panel crowned Rotem Bensaadon the 2024 Swim Upcycle Challenge Winner at Paraiso Miami Swim Week on May 31, 2024. Ms. Bensaadon is a graduating student at Istituto Marangoni Miami, The Miami School of Fashion & Design, and showcased 2 custom-designed bikini looks all from recycled materials. To accentuate the swimwear runway styles, Rotem created 2 clutch purses from recycled cans, spray painted in silver metallic then hand drew prints using the new Sharpie Creative Markers’ paint-like, no-bleed ink in colors that pop on light and dark surfaces. Student designer Rotem Bensaadon further explained “The partnership with Sharpie helped me organize my thoughts through color. Because I am a visual person, I like to use Sharpie Creative Markers to differentiate between topics and certain lines in the pattern-making process.”

All the contestants’ custom-designed accessories made with the Sharpie Creative Markers remained on display at the Paraiso Swim Week main tent throughout the 4-day event week.

“Sharpie was thrilled to partner with Paraiso Miami Swim Week and this event that allows us to continue our mission to encourage creativity and self-expression through our ‘World is Your Canvas’ campaign in celebration of the launch of Sharpie® Creative Markers,” said Gina Lazaro, Vice President of Brand Management for Sharpie’s parent company, Newell Brands.

Swim Upcycle Challenge Winner ROTEM BENSAADON walks the runway with her models wearing designs and accessories accented with Sharpie Creative Markers.

2024 Swim Upcycle Challenge judges (right to left), Gina Lazaro, Vice President of Brand Management for Sharpie’s parent company, Newell Brands; Ivy Heilman, Senior Buyer for Intimates, Swim and Active at Anthropologie; Keili Leahy, Senior Buyer at Urban Outfitters; and Madison Rexroat, ELLE Magazine.

Other initiatives for Sharpie at Paraiso Swim Week included partnering with ACACIA on the next show day for their exclusive off-site runway show at the iconic 1111 Lincoln Road. Here, ACACIA debuted its Resort 2025 collection, which included a few swimwear looks inspired by an ACACIA artist, who created patterns using the Sharpie Creative Markers. Celebrating nearly two decades of ACACIA’s influence in the industry, this event was a highlight of the week, revealing the evolving landscape of the luxury swim industry, with a distinct emphasis on artistic innovation and sustainability.

Lastly, throughout the week, attendees also had the opportunity to express their creativity by using Sharpie Creative Markers to draw and color on the live community mural hosted in the main Paraiso Tent.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Paraiso Miami Swim Week. Video Credit Sharpie/LiveLabs