BEAT

HOPPING INTO FASHION

Nikki Gersten McAvity’s brand shifts gears from masks to clothing and accessories

Just as the phoenix arises from the ashes and starts anew, craft makers have begun to flourish after struggling with the pandemic. This development resonates deeply with Scottsdale designer Nikki Gersten McAvity, whose small business of making masks has transformed into a fashion hot spot for people in search of stylish accessories and clothes. Gersten McAvity has always been interested in the fashion industry. While growing up in New York City, Gersten McAvity was inspired by her chic surroundings and the hubbub of city life and visited grand art museums in the city, which in helped shape her joy of art, design and entrepreneurship. As an adult, Gersten McAvity moved to Scottsdale, started a family with her husband and opened a small company on Etsy named Robot Bunnies (www.robotbunnies.com) – originated from her son’s love of bunnies. During the pandemic, the designer’s brand primarily sold personalized masks and provided masks to frontline workers in the her hometown of New York. “Literally on my block where I grew up, Lenox Hill Hospital had a morgue truck in front of it and then they were opening a makeshift hospital in Central Park where I played as a kid,” Gersten McAvity says. “I felt that my heart was in New York.” Her offerings started with surgical masks and “I Heart New York” masks before transitioning to support feminist moms. Today, she now also sells sun hats, clothing and accessories. “My passion is in the fabrics and the patterns and the designs and working with the artists,” Gersten McAvity says. “I’ve gotten to know the artists that create the patterns that I work with.” Part of what makes Robot Bunnies unique from other companies lies within Gersten McAvity’s ability to make items to order rather than creating the generic sizes that are usually seen in retail stores. Her items are specially made for each individual and are custom designed by her. Additional offerings include bucket hats, wrap skirts, and whimsical pillows.

BY MEGAN DEMKO / PHOTO BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE