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   His partnership with Pettenati has, likewise, resulted in the exclusive Aqua Swim Pettenati, a new, modern fabric around which the entire collection is based. With three built-in kinds of elasticity (stretch polyamide microfibre string, a proprietary circular knitted fabric and thirdly, 14 per cent Lycra), it shapes itself to all the body’s movements and snaps back without losing its original form, is highly resistant to water, sweat, chlorine, and is at the same time, comfortable, light and non-transparent when wet.
   The designers of the show space, in referencing the legend about the gods banishing a star from the sky (sending it hurling towards the earth) when they were displeased with the mortals below them, a gigantic Plexiglas, multi-pronged star was the sole focal point of the runway.
   As for the designs themselves, if they were anymore sexual, the runway would have been consumed by fire. Mr Slama commissioned specially created prints from noted Brazilian illustrators (Claudia Scata­machia, Lucio Car­valho, Roberto Weigand, Rosa Magala­haes and Walde­mar de Andrade), so it was a very colourful feast gracing the catwalk.
   Broken into separate sections, his colour range ran the gamut from Curupira yellow to Saci-Perere orange and Boto rose and Iara blue.* My favourite pieces in the collection included his Saci-Perere orange one-shoulder open-front maillot with a layered bottom, his Curupira yellow layered trunk for men, all the sueded leopard and snakeskin designs and Yasmin in his gold lurex open work bikini with back string ties. This collection rocked the house because it made no apologies for its origins and, in a time when everyone was doing near-saccharine-sweet, his tough, all-out sexiness was like a much needed tonic. It also didn’t hurt that his couture leanings elevated the designs to new heights of cool and desirability.
   It is usually the case that, when a designer is showing both men and women’s designs in the same show, one side suffers. Not so here. It is true that you can push menswear only so far but Mr Slama managed to find male models that exude confidence and sensuality without embarrassment or shame. Nothing is sexier than a male model proudly showing his assets with his head held high.
   If there was anything to quibble about, it would have to be the Ortho Evra birth control patches worn by the female models. Having Ortho Evra as a sponsor is one thing, but expanding their visibility to the point of unavoidable ad nauseam is quite another. ‘Partnering with Rosa Cha and working with Amir Slama is an exciting way to show women they can look beautiful and feel confident wearing the weekly Ortho Evra patch,’ said Cheryl Callan, group director of consumer marketing from Ortho–NcNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc.

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This collection rocked the house because it made no apologies for its origins and, in a time when everyone was doing near-saccharine-sweet, his tough, all-out sexiness was like a much needed tonic