photography by lucas purvis
makeup by rae cosmetics
Austin’s transformation over the last 20 years from a sleepy college town to a sophisticated city is seen in every aspect of the community from food (where options once limited to Tex-Mex, hamburgers and barbecue now include Latin American restaurants, sushi bars and gourmet food trailers) to architecture (where the skyline has been stamped with sleek, sophisticated buildings).
Austin’s fashion community is growing up, too. The ubiquitous tank top, jeans, flip-flops and the occasional cowboy hat uniform worn by most Austinites has loosened up and added flair.
Boutiques along the 2nd Street District offer a wide variety of one-of-a-kind looks, TRIBEZA has brought fashion to Austin via its magazine pages and Austin Fashion Week has injected New York-style fashion into Austin’s hippest locations.
One of the major players in Austin’s evolving fashion community is Stacy Kenyon. The long-time model and fashion designer recently launched her own signature line, Bandita Couture, here in Austin. Bandita Couture is a line of sexy, fun swimwear with a chic appeal.
Kenyon continuously breaks the mold and redefines the bikini to create a unique, body-conscious, ultra-sexy silhouette that pushes the envelope with the traditional swimsuit form.
Each suit design is inspired by a real Bandita woman. Kenyon’s inspiration for her designs comes from the women in her life: family, friends, models and her daughter.
The Brit suit has a traditional-looking bikini top with short boy shorts on the bottom, while the Ela is a fun two-piece with a zip-up ‘80s-style top. The Robin wraps around the body, forming sexy lines as it outlines the body.
Kenyon’s suits have graced the pages of Austin Monthly magazine, have been seen in several fashion shows around the nation and are likely to show up in the next swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
Consumers can find them hanging next to Kenneth Cole and Lucky Brand suits at Macy’s. Kenyon is also in talks with Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s about carrying her brand.
