Miami Swim Week 2023 called out for lack of body diversity

The creator of the duct tape bikini has made a surprise comeback to the catwalk – but it’s another detail that has fans “confused”.

Joel Alvarez, the man behind The Black Tape Project, announced the brand had made its “final” show during New York Fashion Week in February.

However, it has since emerged Alvarez was referring to himself in the bold statement, later changing his name to Drakhan Blackhart and declaring he “buried Joel Alvarez on that stage in front of the world”.

Now it seems, as part of his reinvention, his designs have become even skimpier – with the latest show from The Black Tape Project showing off designs that are utterly minuscule.

One duct tape bikini modeled at the show on Friday shows one single piece of black tape that fans out across her vagina paired with two little squares on her nipples.

Similarly, one woman walked the runway in a design that comprised of a single strip across her nether regions that snaked up around her hips, with two black crosses hiding her nipples.

While another had a single strip of black sticky tape placed downstairs as two diagonal bars cling to a tiny proportion of her breasts.

Blackhart, who refers to himself as the “King of Tape” and his models as “dragons”, revealed on Instagram he hand-applied an array of studs to a number of the designs at the latest show during Miami Swim Week.

But as hordes of models posted videos and images from the Miami Swim Week show, many have pointed out the “lack of body diversity” among them.

“Great show but where’s the variety of bodies?” one Instagram user asked.

Another stated: “I’m confused. Wasn’t Victoria’s Secret’s runway shows canceled because of the unobtainable body shapes among models? How come this fashion show can take place? Can’t understand the fashion world.”

“All the models look the same,” someone else mused.

Many people supported the art show, labeling it “insane” and “killer”.

“SPEECHLESS,” one said.

“Everyone’s jaw MUST be on the floor!!” another remarked.

“What a show!” a social media user declared.

However, Blackhart isn’t the only sticky tape artist on the block anymore, after Miami Art Body Tape made its debut at a Miami Swim Week event in June.

Its founder Andrei Stamate gave insight into how difficult the tape is to remove ahead of the show, explaining it doesn’t hurt as much as you’d think.

“The body tape is easy to come off, it doesn’t hurt them and it’s easier to come off then put on,” he told a British newspaper in March.

“It sticks very well but if the models sweat it could come off.”

Stamate also explained the black tape has a better grip than the metallic stuff which he described as “sensitive.”