by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Before there was McKenzie Primacio the fashion designer, there was McKenzie Primacio the fashion model.
This isn’t too much of a surprise.
PHOTO by MIKE CHAIKEN
After all, McKenzie was a recent contestant at Miss Bikini US, where she competed as Miss Bikini Hawaii Model.
But at the same event, when the competition held a runway show as part of Miami Swim Week, McKenzie showed her own line of swimsuits on the runway… Ka’u Kini Swimwear.
“I started modeling before I took up fashion design,” explained McKenzie in an email interview. “When I was about 11-12 years old, I had my first gig as a hair model. I was asked by an upcoming hair stylist to be a live model for a style, cut, and color course she was taking. I did around 3-5 more hair sessions with her until about the age of 13.”
When that gig was over, however, that wasn’t the end of McKenzie’s modeling.
“I was encouraged throughout my intermediate and high school years to seriously pursue a modeling career,” said McKenzie.
“But at the same time, I was a princess, a fashionista, myself,” McKenzie added. “I remember always wearing Disney princess dresses and heels to pre-school and starting clothing trends since elementary. I’ve always loved to dress up, draw, and sketch ever since I was a little girl.”
Being an artist also ran in the family, said the designer. “I thank my Papa Gordan for inspiring and teaching me as an artist himself. I took a lot of art classes throughout my school years to further challenge and enhance my creativity. My passions for art are what lead me to pursue fashion design along with modeling.”
Besides modeling and designing, McKenzie said she also had an interest in business.
“I decided to come up with my own line because my mind has always been set on starting my own business since the age of 10,” said the designer. “I knew I wanted to be a business owner; but I wasn’t sure of what until my freshman year of high school after I created my first start-up bikini business with some friends for a college business class.”
For that project, McKenzie said, “I was tasked with designing all the bikinis for our brand. After we discontinued our brand, I took some of the ideas and experiences from that combined with my hobby of crocheting and created what you now know as ‘Kau’iKinis & Apparel.’”
McKenzie’s love for art fuels her focus in fashion design. For McKenzie, her own brand is not just about commerce. It’s about showing the world who she is as a person.
“I love designing not just because of (the opportunity for) self-expression, but because it originates from one of my love languages: gift-giving,” said McKenzie. “My favorite part about designing is seeing the people I give gifts to (get) excited and appreciate my handmade crafts. It’s all around rewarding because I enjoy both the process and time I spend with each individual.”
As a designer and business owner, why enter the world of swimwear?
“I chose to focus on swimwear because as an island girl I’m always wearing a bikini,” said the Hawaiian resident. “(I’m wearing a swimsuit) not just to the beach, but to clean, use under gym clothes, as a fashion statement, and sometimes just to wear around on a hot day. There’s a variety of styles when it comes to swimwear in general; so sometimes it can be pulled off as normal clothing regardless.
“Swimwear is very versatile, cute, and comfortable which is why other than the fact that I’m always in them, I created a bikini business,” she said.
McKenzie added, “My designs are meant to be versatile so that they can be worn in a variety of styles by the consumer because I also want them to partake in their own creativity.”
At the Miss Bikini fashion show on July 5, McKenzie showed a line of her crocheted bikinis.
“The bikini itself is made to be breathable but sturdy,” said the designer of the crochet work. “There’s enough fabric and spacing within each row so that it covers what’s necessary while not feeling too hot or heavy. It’s also reinforced enough so that the yarn won’t snap when tugged to tighten.”
Rather than sending out her work to a manufacturer, McKenzie does the crochet herself. “All of my bikinis and apparel are personally handcrafted by me. As of right now, I am the sole creator and designer of my crochet line.”
McKenzie explained, “An interesting fact about crochet is that each stitch is made individually meaning that it cannot be replicated by a machine. As such I have to hand-stitch row by row to build the single string into a complete garment. It’s a truly time-consuming craft.” As the business grows, McKenzie admits she will get some help with the work.
The fashion show at Miss Bikini US at the Sagamore Hotel South Beach was the first time the new designs for Kono Kinis were shown on live models, said McKenzie.
“That’s mostly why I was so happy to be there as a designer as it was the first time I got models with a variety of body types, skin tones, and heights to fit my new designs,” said the designer. “Even though that was my first runway, it definitely won’t be my last. Just from that experience, I’ve been able to connect with other fashion shows in Miami and back home in Hawaii, where I hope to showcase my brand next.”
As for her long-term plans for Kono Kinis, McKenzie said she hopes to become an established brand in her home state of Hawaii. In doing so, she added, “I want to promote small, local businesses while also remaining sustainable so that I can work as an entrepreneur, designer, and model as well. I also want to inspire and bring opportunity to other creatives. My platform is all about collaboration. I love to share my work and work with others who have dreams because it results in things that are unique and intriguing.”
Also, said McKenzie, “Eventually I want to expand my age demographic between keiki to makua, in other words kid to adult sizes… my current customers are ages 13 and up. I see my primary consumers being teens and millennials, as my designs are more of today’s modern fashion.”
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN
