The Fashion-Person Guide to Miami: Where to Stay, Dine, Shop, and Go

Welcome to Who What Wear Travels, a series of curated guides to destinations the fashion set loves. Consider this your download on everything from the chicest stays to the most memorable meals to the perfect travel wardrobe, all vetted by stylish locals and well-traveled fashion folks.

"Miami is growing a lot in every single way," explains Isabela Grutman. And she's not wrong. In 2020, when cities like New York experienced a drain of residents escaping for a more agreeable lifestyle, cities like Miami were the destination for many. In fact, so many New Yorkers moved to south Florida over the last three years that everywhere you go, you're reminded of the city's outsized population: in the traffic, in the new construction across the city, and in the trend of New York restaurants opening their doors in the zip code.

But it's not just the pull of a perpetually-sunny forecast and proximity to the beach that's drawing many south. "There’s a lot of new artists, designers and creative talents moving here," Grutman continues. "Besides that, the different cultures that you find here are always very inspiring to me." Éliou co-founder Duda Teixeira agrees. "I think Miami has changed a lot in the past five years. It is slowly flourishing with creatives, and a community is growing where, before, it was a fleeting destination—a place where you stopped to figure out the next step (which usually meant New York)," she explains.

The city is a melting pot of cultures, with strong influences from Latin America and the Caribbean—"cultures unafraid to immerse themselves in a vivid palette of colors" according to Teixeira, who also states that although Miami is a major city, it still has a lingering essence of island life.

Who What Wear Travels Tip: For the best weather, Teixeira and Mantilla say to come during the winter months of December to March. "Miami is a tropical city with warm weather and lots of rain depending on the season. Summers can be tough for those unaccustomed to intense heat and humid climates; it also tends to rain a lot."

Although Miami tends to project a strong image of what it is, there are many different facets of this city to be discovered. We tapped four fashion-industry locals to divulge where this city's style set actually goes to dine, drink, shop, and explore.

Wherever A-listers are in Miami, you're likely to find Isabela Grutman there, too. The Brazilian-born model moved to Miami nearly nine years ago after meeting her now-husband, the hospitality mogul Dave Grutman of Groot Hospitality. In addition to running her ready-to-wear line Rangel, Grutman advises on the creative side of the hospitality business to oversee the aesthetic and experience of the venues. 

Cristina Mantilla and Duda Teixeira launched Éliou five years ago with the goal of creating jewelry (and now clothing) that "capture the lingering feeling of summer—an extension of what it feels like living in Miami and [Teixeira's] time in Brazil." Mantilla grew up in Key Biscayne, a small island next to Miami, and Teixeira in Rio de Janeiro but the two came together to launch a creative agency to fill the then-void of creative talent in Miami before starting their endeavor with Éliou.

Sofia Tcherassi is the director of ready-to-wear at Silvia Tcherassi, the brand started by her mother Silvia and grandmother Vera 30 years ago. Originally from Colombia, Tcherassi moved to Miami at the age of six and has immersed herself in the city's creative community ever since. Both the city and her family's brand are completely intertwined, she says, from the architecture of Miami's two Silvia Tcherassi boutiques to the collections they inspire.