Paradise Island Comes to Manhattan as New York Swim Week takes the city by storm.

by Joshua Schupak

The new concept is growing a massive audience in only its third year of production but where did this Paradise come from? Evita Scoccia, the founder of NYSW was inspired to create something new. After attending Miami Swim week during Covid, she felt that there was more that could be done and was surprised that New York did not have an event of its own given its rich history. 

With determination and a goal in mind, the young entrepreneur, with a degree from Parson School of Design, set out to create something that has never been done. With a passion for bringing people together and giving others an opportunity to express themselves and gain exposure she was able to gather a team to bring this idea to fruition. Now, three years later, people are buzzing to get involved. 

“I want people to view this event as an experience” Said Scoccia, “This is not your ordinary fashion show, we try to go the extra mile by including more programming such as live performances and bottle service to add the party vibe of the event”. 

The craze began with a networking party prior to the show where 400 guests attended to mingle, connect, and be together. The party was a huge success and the perfect buildup to what was to come. 

The runway hosted over 20 various designers and  lots of models from all over, even reaching over a million people. You could feel the island vibes as the venue was decorated with Mountains, Palm trees, and more. The Caribbean house music playing in the background and some models  walking the runway with snakes around their necks further delivered the feel of Paradise.

“New york is like a concrete jungle, and oftentimes it can be more concrete than jungle. New York Swim Week brought back the island half. It did not feel like your usual high alert high focus runway, you could feel the vibes aerating throughout the venue, great energy, lots of laughs, and pure joy was the tone.” Said Sage Lauren, one of the models in the event. “The event is amazing, it is not only for the established creators but it encourages up and coming models and designers to express themselves on the big stage and gives them a platform to follow their dreams”.

It is clear that New York Swim week is only growing and improving year after year. This leaves us wondering, what is the experience like? To answer this we sat down with Taylor Laffey, one of the models who walked the runway.

How did you hear about the event?

“One of the large designers I walked for at Miami Swim Week told me that this would be a great event. She told me it is fast growing and I should get involved. “

What was your experience like?

“It was fantastic. I was very impressed with how well organized the event was from the production to the coordination between the makeup and hair teams. You do not always see this much congruence at events like this. You could tell everyone was having a great time and enjoying themselves. 

What would you say to any models just now discovering New York Swim week?

‘Get involved now because this is definitely going to continue to grow and it might be near impossible to have this opportunity in the future.”

What can we expect from this event moving forward?

The rapid growth and great success of the event continues to bring in top global talent from designers to media to models and more. It is clear New York Swim week is showing no signs of stopping and will only return greater and grander in the years to come. The event plans to continue its expansion into a potential 2 day event with even more surprises further proving this is not your ordinary show. 

To learn more about New York Swim Week and stay up to date on their events you can follow them on Instagram @ny.swimweek or check out their website nyswimweek.com