Daniella Issa Helayel really knows how to make a splash: whether by casting the mercurial Naomi Campbell in her Spring 2009 show or dashing about London town in a customized black cab. It came as no surprise, then, that the expatriate Brazilian dived right into the swing of things when she arrived in New York to present Resort for the first time. Taking over a room with a view at the just-opened Standard, she set up a well-stocked bar as well as a DJ booth manned by Harley Viera-Newton.
"Cruise is perfect for Americans—they love holidays," explained the designer as models with aqua-lined eyes strode by in the mismatched bikinis that are one of Issa's personal favorites from the lineup. Recent trips to the Maldives and Tahiti inspired abstracted prints that mostly came in deep jewel tones. "I wanted it to be uplifting," Helayel said of her collection, and it was.
