'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein's ex-boyfriend sees off 2016 by frolicking on the beach with transgender model Lauren Foster

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The ex-boyfriend of 'catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein got a little help forgetting old acquaintance on Saturday as he enjoyed a New Year's Eve party for two with his gal pal, transgender model Lauren Foster, 59.

The pair were spotted on Miami Beach Sunday dancing in the surf and sharing a kiss - five days after they were spotted soaking up the post-Christmas-Day sun there.

Klein, 49, had gone to Miami after a vicious break-up with Wildenstein, 71, that saw his face scratched and both of them arrested.

But he seems to have found some solace in the form of LGBT activist and former Vogue model Foster, with whom he took a stroll on the beach Sunday.

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Fashion designer Lloyd Klein was spotted on New Year's Eve in Miami with Lauren Foster, a South African-born transgender model and LGBT activist

Klein was also seen with Foster on Dec 26, having gone to Florida for Christmas to recover from a violent break-up with 'catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein that saw them both arrested

The pair are close friends, not lovers, insiders say - but they clearly enjoy their time together Foster is a former Vogue model who transitioned at age 18

Klein has known the South African activist for 15 years, but the pair have only recently been seen in Miami together.

They were previously glimpsed on December 26, where they joined revelers at the Soho Beach Club on Monday before strolling arm in arm along Miami Beach and enjoying a brief kiss in the surf.  

On Saturday Klein wore a blue baseball cap, black T-shirt and dark sunglasses. There was no sign of the bloody facial scratches he suffered during his December 7 bust-up with Wildenstein.

Foster, meanwhile, wore a glamorous swimsuit emblazoned with the 'peace' symbol, and a coordinated lemon-colored sarong. 

Insiders say the pair are 'close friends' rather than lovers.

The pair were also seen on Miami Beach the day after Christmas. Klein's bust-up with Wildenstein in early December saw him with cuts on his face that were gone later in the month

Klein joined Foster at the Soho Beach Club on Monday before strolling arm in arm along Miami Beach and sharing a brief kiss in the surf

Friends say that Klein and Foster are long-time pals who reconnected in Miami, where the model is comforting Klein following his breakup with 'catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein

They reconnected in Miami where the shapely blonde has been comforting Klein and posing for sketches for his new couture collection.

'My break up with Jocelyn has devastated me but I've known Lauren for a long time and she's been there for me when I've needed her,' Klein said.

'Things are fabulous and she's inspired me to work on a new collection which is going to be the best one of my career. 

'The catwalk has always been my saving grace. My only lover is my fashion right now.'

Foster grew up in Durban, South Africa, and reportedly decided at the age of nine that her sexual identity did not match her gender.

Klein wore a baseball cap, t-shirt and dark sunglasses, while Foster wore a one-piece black bathing suit and a pink and black patterned cover up

The pair have known each other for more than a decade, and have always been close friends rather than lovers

Klein showed no signs of lasting injuries from his brawl with Wildenstein as he played in the surf with Foster

She abandoned her male identity at 17 and assumed the name of Lauren Shipton before undergoing gender reassignment surgery a year later. 

Foster underwent a gender reassignment operation at 18 years old and became a runway and magazine model. 

Her big break came in 1980, when she appeared in a six-page spread for Vogue magazine with readers unaware she was born a male.

However she was outed by the tabloids after a rival model revealed her secret and her ordeal at the hands of the press led her to become an activist for LGBT rights. 

She became an outspoken LGBT advocate, gay party promoter, blogger and reality star, appearing in an episode of the Real Housewives of Miami.

Her upcoming memoir, entitled 'DANSE SAUVAGE - The Life & Times of International Transsexual, Lauren Foster' promises to reveal a string of high-profile lovers, including 'movie stars and international politicians'. 

Klein and Foster, both 49, laughed as they chatted and walked down the Miami beach on Monday

When Foster removed her cover-up she revealed that her figure-hugging swimsuit featured a sheer slit down the middle

After chatting and playing in the surf, Klein and Foster walked arm and arm back up the beach 

Klein revealed that Foster has been posing for sketches for his new couture collection and has inspired him to make new work which he revealed to DailyMail.com

Klein says his new line with be the best of his career and insists that his 'only lover is my fashion right now'

A synopsis of her upcoming memoir promises a riotous snapshot of her life as a party-going trans socialite. 

Foster made her big break into the fashion industry in 1980, when she posed for Vogue

The synopsis reads: 'She reveals a captivating and anecdotal snapshot of life in the fast lane - whether serving as confidante to Prince Egon Von Furstenburg and other rich and infamous regulars at Studio 54, partying at the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner, stuck in a Viennese elevator with Grace Jones, dodging traffic with Boy George, modeling minks for Hollywood Wives or playing the heavy for the most powerful promoter on the gay party circuit.'

Klein, meanwhile, is still waiting to hear whether he faces charges for his part in the violent fight at Wildenstein's swanky Trump World Tower apartment in Manhattan.

The 'bride of Wildenstein' - known as the catwoman because of her repeated plastic surgeries - was first arrested for clawing Klein across the face and slashing him with scissors in a late-night brawl.

He was forced to bundle the raging socialite into a walk-in closet to bring the attack to a halt before cops arrived and arrested her.

The catfight intensified days later when it was Klein's turn to be hauled off into custody for supposedly hurling 71-year-old Wildenstein to the ground when he returned for his possessions. 

Klein was left with claw marks across his face and chest after a fight in Wildenstein's New York apartment on December 7. Days later, he was arrested after supposedly hurling 71-year-old Wildenstein to the ground when he returned for his possessions

Klein and Wildenstein broke up in early December after a turbulent 14-year relationship

Wildenstein was accused of slashing Klein's face with a pair of scissors and gouging his face with her nails. Days later, he was arrested after the socialite claimed he assaulted her at their shared New York apartment

Klein, who has designed clothes for A-list celebs including Nicki Minaj, Pink and Joan Collins, is also accused of stealing an iPhone, a Swiss ID, a cell phone case and a credit card.

But his supporters claim the accusations are nothing but a spiteful tit-for-tat bid to discredit him for walking out on the couple's turbulent 14-year relationship.

They also question whether Canadian-born Klein, who is in remission from cancer, was even physically capable of the attack.

Wildenstein's temper is said to be as notorious as her feline looks, according to friends who say she has frequent violent outbursts.

A video obtained last month by DailyMail.com showed hitting Klein twice with a metal tray and screaming abuse at him while he begged her to calm down.

Klein, whose brother is the world-renowned artist Jean-Yves Klein, told DailyMail.com today that the matter is in the hands of his lawyers.

'They are the legal experts so I am leaving it all up to them,' he said. 'I remain focused on moving forward and producing a fabulous new collection.'