Designer-entrepreneur-model Gianine McKenna is wearing a form-fitting, Juillet blue shine dress – one of her designs– when we meet at her eponymous boutique in the heart of Buckhead. The store, which opened in January 2024, is chicly adorned with wallpaper featuring vibrant parrots and palm fronds, and has walls lined with gold racks showcasing swimwear and resort wear in a variety of fun patterns and a rainbow of hues designed by the Brazilian powerhouse herself.
Since opening, Gianine’s storefront has been featured on Bravo’s reality show, Married to Medicine, and is serving as the backdrop for a dating show on MTV today. “The cast is coming in to pick up some swimsuits for a trip,” shares Gianine.
Peddling sexy swimwear was something Gianine fell into. Born in Brazil and raised on St. Simons Island, Gianine and her family relocated to the area off the coast of Georgia for her father’s job when she was 9. While attending Georgia State University in 2013, Gianine would return from her trips to Brazil with bikinis for her girlfriends, back when Brazilian bikini bottoms were still a novelty. “It’s not like now. It’s rare that you find someone wearing a full bottom now. Over time, I was like, ‘Maybe I can sell these.’ Being Brazilian myself, it became almost an identity,” Gianine laughs. “My husband, my boyfriend [Dr. Mark McKenna, founder of OVME] at that time, he’s an entrepreneur; being around him, seeing how easily he made businesses happen… I never thought about having my own business. I’ve still got one more year. Why don’t I give that a go and see how it goes?”
By 2018, Gianine was designing swimwear and manufacturing it in Brazil. “I had already made the connections in Brazil, and my clients were asking for specific styles and specific colors, so I was able to begin giving them exactly what they wanted. Once you start something and the passion kicks in, then you’re all in. How can I make it better and better and better?”
While building her business, Mark and Gianine, who met in 2010 while out with friends at MF Sushi in Buckhead, were married and had their two daughters. “Life happens in between and time flies!” Gianine and her family return to her hometown once a year. “We have a good groove now, so I don’t have to go down, but it’s nice to touch fabrics before we do a collection.”
How would you characterize your designs?
“When I first launched, it was playful, fun, and young. At that time, swim fashion was a lot of cutouts. Now, things are simplistic and luxury fabrics, textured fabrics. I would say it’s more of a modern woman now. She’s going somewhere like Saint-Tropez, St. Barths, Ibiza, or Cancun… where they need a whole ensemble now. They gravitate more towards quality, things that are going to last in their closet, versus something super trendy. And a great, great fit.”
What’s your best seller?
“The Roberta bottom. They’re a wider band. It has a V in the front, so it creates a slimming effect. Some ruching in the back. The elastic gives the girls a boost in the booty. That’s been a tried and true for many, many years. But now, we’re adding different pieces to it. Since I opened up the store, I am able to really try different styles faster, and see what’s sticking. We do a lot of resort wear now. So,
dresses, skirts, tops, but I would say dresses would be the most natural flow because then you can wear it at night. You have your day outfit, which is the bikini, and usually a cover-up, and then your night outfit. This [the dress she is wearing] is part of our collection. You can wear it during the
day, but it easily translates to night with a little heel, especially if you’re in St. Barths.”
Where would you like to see your company go in the next 5 years?
“We’ve hired some amazing girls for social media ads, and they’ve been able to broaden our brand view. We’ve experienced huge growth outside of Atlanta this year. Just becoming a nationally recognized brand.”
Who do you envision wearing your designs?
“Giselle Bündchen, I would love that! The original 2000s supermodels– that would be great.”
Is there anything you have had to overcome with your company?
“We’ve had to pivot a lot, and it’s always fun. For example, even opening the store, I was like, ‘OK,
I had to make a few changes from online.’ And I felt like my clients in Atlanta wanted to have a place to
try things on, so that was a pivot to how I had been doing things. Supply chain challenges –I deal with that on a daily basis… But honestly, I do tend to twist things into a positive. I don’t dwell much on negativity.”
Do you have a favorite piece?
“I am liking the pink; that one has a scale with a slight shimmer. Girls have been really liking it. This fabric [motions to her Juillet blue shine dress] blew up online! This is the most I’ve ever ordered in a fabric. I wasn’t prepared to sell out of it so quickly. I thought, for the first time, maybe I’ll just take pre-orders. Well, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pre-orders came through, and I had to maneuver that. Lots of messaging people, ‘It’s coming.’ Just good customer service when you have
that many people waiting on a specific bikini. By the time they arrived, we were already sold out, and we had to put in another order.”
What is the key to your success?
“Getting to know your clients and seeing them as more than just a client. Through the years, you develop true friendships with them versus passing and going. I would also say that for a swimwear online brand, a good photographer! That’s one corner you cannot cut if you want to be successful. And keep going. Keep at it, don’t get discouraged. As long as you love it, there’s a passion there, I think you will do it.”
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
“Something interesting and unique? Oh, I have a twin! Believe it or not, not many people know that because it’s been 10 years since she moved to New York. Some people are shocked every time I say it.”
GIANINE’S FAVES
Top 3 Restaurants
- Lion’s Head
- Umi
- Delbar
Top 3 Cafes
- Dancing Goats Coffee
- Le Bon Nosh
- Saint Germain French Cafe & Bakery
Top 3 Places to Shop in Atlanta for Fashion
- House of Wallace
- Range
- Saks
Top 3 Spas
- OVME! (my husband’s!)
- Little Nail Kitchen (Atlanta)
- Kate Barone Salon (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)
Top 3 Vacation Destinations
- St. Barths
- Saint-Tropez
- Miami
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