Hi Duny, it’s been a while since we spoke, there have been a lot of new things at Bang! You now have underwear and sportswear. What made you branch out into these markets?

Hi, Tim. Nice to chat with you again! Yes, we love introducing new prints, colors, and new lines such as underwear and activewear. We launched our underwear line in 2019. We always had some activewear products and accessories, and we have been gradually adding new elements to that line. We now have hats, tank tops, two kinds of gym shorts, workout pullovers, workout pants, and bags.  We started by designing swimwear. Creating activewear and underwear was a logical next step as our brand was born out of the lifestyle of our main audience: guys who love the Beach, the Active Nightlife, and the Gym (B.A.N.G.!). And practically our customers started asking for those items even before we had developed them, so in a way it was also our answer to their requests.

In the underwear section, you focus on three styles, the brief, boxer brief, and jock, what made you settle on these three styles to start with? Are you expanding to bikinis or thongs in the future? 

We consider those three styles as the all-time classics of men’s underwear. So, we wanted to start with those as the core building blocks of the BANG! underwear line. At this time, we are developing new styles for our underwear line, so stay tuned to find out more.

You are known for swimwear; can you tell us what new collections you have for Summer 2020? 

In our latest 2020 collection, we have added brand new cuts, styles, prints, and colors. We are impressed with how well-received our new “Show Shorts” have been, which are our “showiest” beach shorts ever, for those who crave showing off their legs more than they ever could in standard beach shorts. The cut is based on vintage rugby or volleyball shorts, but we added to them BANG!’s signature shape-enhancing tweaks. Another well-received new release is our “Flex Shorts,” which are the most flexible shorts in our line, as their construction is equipped with a dual-type hybrid waistband. They combine a Flat Style section at front with an elasticated segment at the backside, which enables this bathing suit to adapt comfortably to variations in waist sizes and diverse body shapes, yetdelivering a slick look with a perfect fit. And of course, we introduced new series prints and colors. With names such as Xanadu, Super Pop, Party Lime, and Pink Bomb, how can you not get excited?

One of my favorite lines you have this swimmer is the Xanadu line. What inspired you to create this line? 

The creative direction of BANG! as a brand is strongly influenced by icons of pop culture from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. When we were creating that print, we came up first with that texture composed of intermingling and interweaving bright lines, which turned out to look like neon lights. And we thought of placing them in a way as if they were dancing inside a swimsuit. When we completed a first sample of the finished piece and tried it on a model, we realized it looked as if “a million lights are dancing and there you are…” and it was almost like a Eureka moment: my business partner, Cristian Cravello, and I both shouted together: “That is so Xanadu!” It is fun, an instant classic and a little camp – in short it is very “BANG!”

Your swimwear comes in shorts, briefs, and bikinis. Have you noticed in the last few years more or less guys wearing swim briefs/bikinis? 

We see a general trend towards more interesting and revealing cuts outside of the boxy shorts-like aesthetic. We are not yet at a point where all guys want to wear a bikini-cut swimsuit, but we sense there is a significant shift towards swimwear styles that enhance or flaunt a men’s body shape, rather than tries to hide it. Our main mission at BANG! is our constant obsession with “perfect fitting swimwear” for men. Women have so many fantastic options available when it comes to swimwear, yet on the men’s side, the majority of the brands keep putting out there the same styles that we think are cut so horribly. We decided to start with our BANG! brand as we got tired of going to the Beach and seeing so many men walking by, wearing those so-called beach shorts that we felt actually look like table cloths. We wondered, “why can’t men’s swimsuits fit and look as good as your best pair of designer jeans?” And that has always been what we work so hard to achieve with BANG!: swimsuits that can fit a man’s body like nothing else out there.

Each year you have the most amazing prints, how do you find such creative and fun prints? 

The inspiration can come from anywhere. Cristian usually comes up with some crazy ideas. But the real magic happens when we get together and start playing around and tinkering with them. We always joke that we consider ourselves “D.J.s” or “Design Jockeys” because what we enjoy the most is to “remix” elements of design. Some of our prints our practically “mash-ups” of many other things that one of our designers may have come up with as an isolated element. But then we fuse it with other visual elements to turn them into something new. And just like the Chainsmokers or Daft Punk we work great as a duo. 

One question you may get, but I have to ask for our readers, the last year or so swim thongs are gaining in popularity, have you thought about expanding into thongs? 

Yes. We have thought about it. And we also always listen to what our customers ask for.

Those styles certainly are gaining popularity. So, at some point, we may find ourselves going back to our drawing boards to start brainstorming about what an ideal thong-by-BANG! should look like?

You have been the face of the brand since the beginning, which is your favorite style to wear to the Beach? 

I love our Swim Mini-Briefs, which is our most revealing cut because I love the sun, the Beach, and I can never get enough of it. 

This year, 2020, has had a lot of setbacks, specifically with C.O.V.I.D., what can we expect to see later in the year from Bang? 

We pride ourselves, not only on our products but also in our customer service. With the recent turn of events, one thing that we will keep on making our priority more than ever is to be more attentive to our client’s requests, feedback, and needs. We plan to keep in place year-round our Free Shipping options available to all, as well as our Free Exchanges and Returns policies that our customers keep raving about so much in their reviews and messages to us. If we want to offer the best fitting and most complete line of swimwear for men out there, we also need to make it easier for our customers to pair them with their favorite match.