Just days after the Montreal stop of Hair’s The Thing, I joined the KEVIN.MURPHY team in Miami, where — for the eighth consecutive year — the brand returned as exclusive hair sponsor of Miami Swim Week. It’s a role that reflects KEVIN.MURPHY’s evolving stake in the professional beauty space: not just about product or polish, but about presence — on the runway, backstage, and in the stories stylists tell through their work.
At the helm was Sarah Lund, KEVIN.MURPHY’s Director of Education for North America, supported by Carmen Waltz and Brandi Holdaway, both STYLE/COLOUR.MASTERS. Also on the ground were Kelly O’Day and Jackie Spiteri, both BRAND.SPECIALISTS, and Lindsey Crider, DIAMOND.KEY and SESSION.SALON Educator. They were joined by a team of KEVIN.MURPHY educators from across North America—each bringing regional experience and technical range to meet the diverse styling demands of the week.
The entire team was outfitted with styling tools from legendary industry brand ghd, made possible by KEVIN.MURPHY and ghd’s relationship through distribution leg KEVIN.MURPHY MID-ATLANTIC. The brand partnered with Covergirl Cosmetics for makeup across all shows.
And while the surprise debut of Megan Thee Stallion’s Miami Swim Week Hot Girl Summer runway will be covered in its own feature, what the team demonstrated five days of consistent, responsive hair direction: styling that served the model, supported the garment, and stayed rooted in KEVIN.MURPHY’s commitment to elevated, touchable texture. Below is a breakdown of how each day unfolded—show by show.
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 28
Espacio Vogue | Swimwear Icons Hall of Fame
Miami Swim Week began with a steady tone. First up: Espacio Vogue, a collaborative show with Vogue Mexico and Latin America spotlighting Latin American swimwear brands including M*U Swimwear, Ser, and Sinesia Karol. “We wanted to go for a fresh, bohemian, very Miami look,” said Fashion Stylist Irma Martínez. “Natural and slightly undone—think beach in beach waves.”
Carmen Waltz and Brandi Holdaway anchored the look in that direction, layering DOO.OVER and SESSION.SPRAY FLEX for soft hold and buildable structure. “We enhanced the models’ natural texture to channel that true Miami spirit,” Holdaway noted. Waltz added, “It has that bohemian energy—festival meets ‘I woke up like this.’”
Later that evening, KEVIN.MURPHY took over the Swimwear Icons Hall of Fame honors at the Bass Museum. Sarah Lund presented the Sustainability Icon Award to Vitamin A, saying, “Vitamin A has not only pioneered sustainable swimwear but has reshaped the industry’s conversation around responsibility, ethics, and design.”
Meanwhile, stylists including Lindsey Crider, Juanlino, Gina Young, and Kashmir Asvaraksh prepped VIPs like Caroline Vreeland and Jamie Nelson in sleek buns, glam waves, and full-bodied curls. The energy was deliberate, styled not for spectacle, but for presence.
Day 2 – Thursday, May 29
Monday Swim | Hot Girl Summer | Salty Mermaid
Thursday, or day 2 of Miami Swim Week, shifted gears towards the mainstage shows, and I was able to join the team backstage. Monday Swim kicked off the day with clean, minimal looks focused on natural texture. It was a quiet, precise opening that made room for the drama of what followed: Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer runway debut, styled exclusively by KEVIN.MURPHY. While that show will be recapped in its own feature, it marked a visual pivot—more constructed, more amplified, yet still aligned with the brand’s editorial roots.
That night, Salty Mermaid brought a meaningful highlight to the runway: a surprise walk by Carmen Carrera, trans icon and long-standing figure in swimwear and beauty. Her hair—soft, secure, and gently textured — was styled using BEDROOM.HAIR and SESSION.SPRAY FLEX. It wasn’t a reinvention, it was refinement. One that let her walk speak for itself.
In seeking inspiration for Salty Mermaid, Lund shared that she ‘returned to the vault’, pulling inspiration from past KEVIN.MURPHY campaigns and collections. “We went back to 2014, to a signature look called ‘Lana’,” she revealed. “It gave us the perfect foundation to build on.” Proof that when you approach haircare like a legacy design house, the result is an aesthetic through-line that is as signature as it is timeless.
Thursday stood out for its balancing act: making room for cultural moments while still executing solid, detail-forward hair work in rapid succession. In a week built on high-volume styling, that ability to pause and recalibrate was no small feat.
Day 3 – Friday, May 30
Sports Illustrated Dinner | Cupshe | Shan | Leslie Amon | Oh Polly
Friday was the most technically demanding day of the week. KEVIN.MURPHY styled multiple high-profile shows, beginning with the Sports Illustrated Swimwear Kick-Off Dinner where Lauren Chan and MJ Day were styled by Asvaraksh. Chan’s hair featured a sculptural faux bang with structured knots and pin-straight ends. “This was one of the most avant-garde styles we’ve done all week,” Asvaraksh noted.
Then came Cupshe — 50 models, three show segments (Past, Present, Future), and a rooftop venue. “Each model had their own individual look,” said Sarah Lund, “so we curated a menu of ten distinct styles that reflected the era they were representing, their natural texture, and the brand’s overall vision.” SESSION.SPRAY, SMOOTH.AGAIN, and a strong core team held the looks in place — despite heat and high humidity.
At Shan, the mood turned inward. Firsthand, I saw how the soft braids, shaped tendrils, and gold accessories moved in quiet harmony with the collection. “This was honestly my favorite show of the week,” said Lund. “It was so natural—and that simplicity is often the hardest thing to perfect.” From the front row I experienced the Shan presentation, set to the backdrop of the White Lotus theme song — a fitting prelude to our upcoming encounter with Chris McMillan’s now-iconic Cunty Little Bob at Premiere Orlando.
Leslie Amon and Oh Polly capped the day with two extremes: textured ease and high-gloss sculpting, executed with FRESH.HAIR, BEDROOM.HAIR, and SHIMMER.SHINE depending on direction.
Day 4 – Saturday, May 31
Sigal | Azulu | Luli Fama | Oséree
Saturday leaned editorial. Sigal opened with a minimalist wave pattern — built using the ghd Wave Iron and shaped through the mid-lengths only. “It had that signature KEVIN.MURPHY ease, but it was actually very controlled and intentional,” Lund said. The texture was nuanced, never fussy.
Azulu brought a different influence: “There was something Gigi Hadid at the 2018 Met Gala about it— ‘Heavenly Bodies,’ but modern,” said Lund. Crown volume was achieved with POWDER.PUFF and set cleanly with SESSION.SPRAY FLEX, softening just enough to avoid looking dated.
The night ended with two riffs on wet texture. At Luli Fama, the goal was moisture and movement—“It had to look damp, hydrated, and luminous — but not soaked or greasy,” said Lund. Oséree was bolder: a sculpted, high-gloss finish with visible partings and saturated strands. “It’s clean, fashion-forward, and feels like you’ve just stepped out of the pool — on purpose.”
Day 5 – Sunday, June 1
Voló Foundation x Syrena | Rivière Collective | Oceanus x Sojos
Sunday’s shows closed the week on a high. Voló x Syrena drew from nature, prioritizing volume and separation. “We wanted the texture to feel untouched, unpolished—like it belonged in the jungle but was ready for the runway,” said Lund. BEDROOM.HAIR and DOO.OVER built light structure, while coils were preserved rather than smoothed.
Rivière Collective brought multiple designers under one roof, requiring a look that could unify without flattening. BODY.BUILDER provided light lift, while SESSION.SPRAY FLEX helped styles hold shape without overstyling. For curls, stylists focused on shine and control, using KILLER.TWIRLS and SHIMMER.SHINE.
Closing Miami Swim Week was Oceanus x Sojos, where maximalist glam took over. “We ended the week with ‘80s volume, and it was everything,” said Lund. Curls were set and sculpted, roots were lifted and backcombed, and SESSION.SPRAY sealed it all in. Global Ambassador Shay Zanco walked the finale in a full-bodied style that didn’t pull focus — it framed it.
NEXT UP – Hot Girl Summer
As always with KEVIN.MURPHY, the hair was only part of the story. What stood out most across five full days wasn’t just the technical range or brand consistency—it was the presence. The stylists showed up for each moment, each model, and each collection with care and clarity. And while Miami Swim Week has officially wrapped, stay tuned: a dedicated editorial is on the way detailing the surprise Hot Girl Summer runway debut and the styling decisions that took it from performance to statement.
