Amanda Batula is a busy gal when it comes to the fashion industry.
The Summer House star, 33, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about designing her own swim line on top of becoming the creative director of Otra Eyewear. Besides feeling passionate about creating a swimwear line with South Moon Under that fits larger chests, Batula told Us it’s been a dream of hers to be creative director of a fashion brand.
“I kind of fell in love with [Otra] on Instagram,” Batula gushed. “I saw some of the coolest celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner wearing them, and when [Otra] reached out, it kind of just seemed like a really natural fit to work together,” she explained. “This was basically my dream.”
Batula noted that she had some experience working as the creative director of her and husband Kyle Cooke’s alcohol brand Loverboy but wanted to explore a position in the fashion industry.
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“Alcohol and fashion accessories are two different worlds,” Batula told Us. “I feel like I’m doing something that’s in my world and where I always thought I would end up feels really cool.”
Batula also gushed that her friends and Cooke, 42, are her biggest supporters. “Kyle has been super supportive of everything, including wearing his own pair of Otra sunglasses. So, he is out there rocking the brand too, which is cool,” she said, noting that the cast of Summer House also loved her frames while shooting season 9 of the show, which is set to premiere in February 2025.
When it comes to her swimwear line, Batula hopes to be able to coordinate Otra sunglasses with her bikinis. “I would love to style that and figure something out,” she said. “I know my brain is already turning, ‘How I can incorporate different shades and what sunglasses [can] I pair with what for my shoots?’”
Batula’s go-to Otra sunglasses are the Frankie frames, which feature a slim rectangle frame. “It’s a style that I don’t typically gravitate towards but as soon as I put them on, I haven’t been able to take them off,” she said. “I get compliments on them all the time.” She also told Us that she tends to accessorize a “girly or feminine” outfit with “masculine, edgier sunglasses.”
Similar to her eyewear, Batula wanted her first swimsuit line, which she created with South Moon Under, to be “fun, flirty and a little nostalgic.”
“Cherries, bows and red are really on-trend right now, so I leaned into that All-American summer sort of vibe,” she told Us, admitting that she doesn’t have a favorite style yet.
“So cliché to say this, but they are all my favorite since I am designing them to be that way. I wouldn’t want to put anything out there that I am not absolutely obsessed with,” she said, noting she’s extra excited for fans to see “a top style with hidden underwire.”
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Batula worked her magic on the line, ensuring that each swimsuit top is supportive and comfortable for larger chests. “Ever since I was younger, I’ve struggled to find cute bathing suit tops that fit my larger chest correctly, are flattering, and supportive,” she told Us. “I am so excited to have tops that actually fit and don’t have to be altered.”
“Not having to worry about how my swim is fitting once I get out of the pool or take my coverup off takes a huge mental load off for me and immediately boosts my confidence,” Batula continued. “You don’t want to constantly be readjusting yourself or having to make sure all your bits are covered.”
Her swimsuit line is set to launch in 2025, and will feature seven to ten pieces, ranging from $60 to $180.
