Looks like Marc Jacobs could be in for some stiff new competition in the fashion stakes - from a source very close to home. The native New Yorker's beau, Lorenzo Martone, has teamed up with jewellery designer Jules Kim to found new label Nycked (which is, we're reliably informed, pronounced "nicked" as opposed to "naked").
The duo put their heads together back in February to create a line of wearable-yet-glamorous swimwear that they've unveiled this week, ahead of its official launch at Miami Swim Fashion Week in next month.
"We saw an opportunity in the marketplace for something cooler and more downtown," says Martone, who is financing the project. "Swim seems to be dominated by a Los Angeles aesthetic and our collection brings a New York attitude to it" - hence the NYC of Nycked.
"Swim in part of my Brazilian heritage," he adds. "Swimwear is considered real fashion there. When Brazilians go on vacation for four days, they bring at least four different swimsuits."
With prices in the region of $120 for a swimsuit and cover-ups priced at up to $210, a capsule water wardrobe by Nycked would equate to a hefty chunk out of any holiday budget. But word on the street is that the designs are worth it.
If you're looking for an additional Jacobs hit, however, you're likely to be disappointed - Martone has told WWD that he didn't consult his partner when it came to the designs. His sage advice? "Relationships are hard enough without mixing business into them. I don't advise mixing the personal and professional."
Martone and Kim are looking to secure big-name US stockists such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus for their debut, but if the line is a success there's every chance it could be available in the UK soon.
Picture: Lorenzo Martone with Marc Jacobs at the after show party for Louis Vuitton's New Bond Street Maison in London last month.
