lenny niemeyer, a brazilian designer and known as brazil's bikini queen, unveiled a modernist beach collection heavily featuring neoprene, the material used for professional swimming sportswear, which turned many heads in the crowd.

the event first took place in the barra shopping mall in 1996 but within a short time period has grown considerably and gained a huge following, while influencing the fashion market worldwide.

the show often takes inspiration from the many cultures and nationalities that live in rio de janeiro, portuguese and west african influences being patricuarly evident.