Nycked: New York State of Mind
Nycked swimwear, with its grungy urban feel, could be called the antithesis of the resorty vibe that infuses many beachbound labels.
Even its name says East Coast sophistication. Nycked (pronounced “nicked”) is a take on NYC, or New York City.
Launched last year by Lorenzo Martone, the former boyfriend of Marc Jacobs, and jewelry designer Jules Kim, the label is getting a lot of publicity. It doesn’t hurt that Martone also runs a public-relations company, Arc New York/Chandler Creative.
Even though he has a master’s in business, Martone’s creative side is alive and was well nurtured in his native Brazil, where summer is practically lived on the beach.
“Swim is part of my Brazilian heritage,” said the model-handsome Martone.
Martone and Kim set out to create a line that said “made in Manhattan.” That can be seen in the color palette for Resort 2012, which veers more toward gritty taupe, light camo green, black and white, with a strong blue being the only vibrant hue.
One-piece suits tend to have racy cutout designs, and two-pieces have heavy embellishments not normally found on suits. Those embellishments include bold, corseted lacing and decorative bows in cireacute; Lycra.
Kim uses her background as a jewelry designer (Bijules) and as a novice lingerie designer—she launched a small lingerie line in 2009, which caught Martone’s attention— to add more glam to certain pieces.
The suits are made by a swimwear factory in New York. The designers are targeting their label to a sophisticated crowd at a $120 to $130 retail price.
For more information, call (212) 966-6997. —Deborah Belgum
