Nicole Byer's New Kitty and Vibe Swimwear Line Totally #NailedIt

April 2024 ยท 4 minute read

This interview took place before SAG-AFTRA strike activity.

Not only is Nicole Byer a remarkably funny woman, she's also the latest celeb to launch a swimsuit line. Byer's dipping her toes into swimwear with Kitty and Vibe, a brand known for uniquely inclusive sizing, and, honestly, it's a match made in swimsuit heaven.

"They're a super-inclusive brand, and I really like that," Byer exclusively tells InStyle, adding that she loved the brand's aesthetic. So why a swimsuit line? "I love bathing suits. I wrote a whole book about wearing bathing suits," she says.

Bathing suit obsession aside, there's poignancy behind this collection for Byer. "Sometimes, me and my best friends like to buy matching swimsuits," she says, sharing that "being a fat woman, it's hard to find things to match your thinner friends. You go to a store, and it stops at an XL or a large or whatever [and] I'm like, 'What are you doing? Do you just not want money from fat people?' Fat money is the same as thin money."

Kayla Davis

Her Kitty and Vibe collection, available in sizes XS to 6X, ensures that no bestie is left out of a matching swimsuit selfie. "Me and my friends could theoretically get matching bathing suits, and that matters to me," Byer says of her swimwear collection. "That's fun. That's the magic of silly things with your friends." Armed with silly things, swimsuit love, and big Byer energy, the comedian dove head first into design.

As a brand, Kitty and Vibe prioritized inclusion at its launch in 2018. From the jump, the brand kicked Photoshop and exclusionary beauty types to the curb. Instead, it highlighted playful swimsuits on diverse models, including its customers, with zero airbrushing. Refreshingly, the brand's core belief that "all bodies are beautiful" isn't limited to its marketing materials.

Kayla Davis

Kitty and Vibe's approach to sizing is also a standout. Bikini tops range in cup sizes from size A to H, but its bikini bottoms really steal the show thanks to their inseam (or booty size, if you're cheeky) options. Byer, whose designs launch on July 18, took a look at the brand's inclusive sizing and said, respectfully, hold my beer.

"I feel like plus-size clothing cuts off at a 3X, and there are a lot of ladies out there that are bigger than a 3X. Personally, my butt is way bigger than my top, so having bigger bottoms is super important to me. There are people out there with large chests, and I want them to be able to get a bathing suit as well," Byer says. As a result, Kitty and Vibe has extended its sizing across all collections from 3X to 6X. You love to see it.

The suits themselves are cute as hell and feature three prints designed by Byer: a tropical parrot print, a black-on-black palm frond print, and a cheetah banana print, the latter of which is a Byer favorite.

Kayla Davis

"The older I get the more I love birds so that's very me," she shares when discussing her inspiration for the collection. "And then we have the banana print which is pretty tongue-in-cheek because I'm a little nasty bitch who talks about nasty things. So it's like you can take a banana however you want to take it, whether it be nutritious or phallic."

However you interpret the saucy swimwear prints, there's no denying that the suits are on-trend. The one-piece suits don't just feature fun prints, they also come with bold hardware and modern cut-outs. Not to be outdone, the bikinis in the collection also offer bottoms with gold chain belts and tops that feature plunged and ruched neckline options.

Kayla Davis

Aside from confident in a great-fitting swimsuit, Byer hopes her Kitty and Vibe collection elicits one simple feeling. "I hope people feel happiness," she says.

Nicole Byer's Kitty and Vibe collection is available to shop on the Kitty and Vibe website starting on July 18.

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