STYLE SWIM

SoFI was front and center to watch vintage tattoo-style swimwear, beach towels, surf boards and boogie boards shimmy down the runway during Ed Hardy's 2010 Contemporary Swimwear Collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach. 

"This season was created to cater to different taste levels with a focus on edgy details such as pop colors, repetitive patters, distressed vintage washes, embroidery, foils and unique screen printing techniques," says Fawn Arthur, Creative Director of Sea & Sun, the premier manufacturer of Ed Hardy Swimwear. "To summarize our style, we are a Cali-inspired brand where Dogtown skater meets Mad Max meets urban-retro-chic.

The after-party at the Fountainebleau Hotel atop La Cote featured VIP Ed Hardy Vodka tables and tons of opportunities to network with Miami's fashion elite.

To view the entire collection, visit EdHardySwimwear.com.

Photos: Jose Amigo; JoseAmigo.com

Underwater Adoption

SoFi loves exploring the submerged natural wonders of The Florida Keys while vacation in and around the nation's southermost tip. But the underwater world I've come to love isn't as utopic as it looks through my snorkel mask...

Problem: The colorful, exotic reefs that make up the majority of the underwater attractions in most parts of The Florida Keys are in trouble.  Solution: Adopt-A-Coral through the Coral Restoration Foundation! Options range from $40 for a coral nubbin at the nursery to $100 for a colony, $500 for a cluster and $5,000 for an entire reef! Don't let these national treasures fade away into oblivion! Adopt today!

For more, visit CoralRestoration.org. Photos: NOAA

HOPE IN HAITI

When former Restavek Jean-Robert Cadet emailed SoFI about his inspirational organization in Haiti, we just knew we had to share it with you!

Restaveks are the children of poor families in Haiti who are unknowingly sent to live as slaves and indentured servants in exchange for the false promise of a better life.

The Restavek Foundation via RestavekFreedom.org is an organization that aims to set these children free through advocacy, awareness, investment, love and education.

On the site, you can Make a Donation, Sponsor a Child, Sponsor a School or Give an Identity by paying the $15 processing fee to get a child their birth certificate so they can have a legal place in society and enroll in school.

"When trying to change a problem this big, sometimes it helps to start small."

— Jean-Robert Cadet

FLEX FEAST!

Say bye-bye to the doggie bag this summer thanks to China Grill South Beach's new half-order menu! Why eat a whole order when all you need to leave full is half?

Some of the BRAND NEW dishes available include:

1. Spiced Crispy Pork Belly with Avocado & Watermelon Salad & Sweet Chili Sauce 

2. Lemongrass Crusted Tofu Tots with Pickled Cucumbers & Kimchee Sauce

3. Moroccan Lamb Ossobuco with Imperial Couscous & Asian Dry Cherry Glaze 

4. Char Siu Baby Back Pork Ribs with Jicama-Napa Cabbage Slaw & Apple Crisps

5. Miso Grilled Vegetables & Udon Noodles with Spicy Hoisin & Mushroom Sauce

Oh, and did we mention valet is now only $6??!!

China Grill

404 Washington Ave.

Miami Beach

Sun-Thurs: 6 p.m.-Mindnight

Fri & Sat: 6 p.m.-1 a.m.

Reservations: 305.534.2211

ChinaGrillMGT.com

Get Ready...

Hi! Thanks for visiting me! I'm SoFI, the alter ego of the team at South of Fifth & The Islands Magazine! 

I will keep you in-the-know on the PEOPLE, PLACES, PARTIES, PURCHASES, PROMOTIONS & PASTIMES you need to have on your radar throughout the "Utopia by the Sea" we call home!

Stay tuned...the fun's just beginning!

xoxo