Kenny Vaccaro opened Konnect with partners Gino Silvas, Will Harper, Jake White and Rafael Mercardo early summer inside 22,000-square-foot gym/social performance club The Kollective (in which he’s a majority investor and founder).
The store features a curated selection of shoes, apparel, vintage tees, hats, and accessories from brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, OFF-WHITE, Fear of God, Amiri, Rhude, Just Don, and Kenny’s original designs By Kenny. Shoes selection includes Jordans, Nike Dunks, Travis Scott sneaker collabs, Yeezy’s and more limited-edition footwear.
Talking to Austin Lifestyle about his foray into fashion, Kenny says, “I've always been interested in fashion, design and art from a young age. Growing up as poor as I did, I didn't have the opportunity to purchase any of those things. After I got drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft for the New Orleans Saints, I finally had the opportunity and ran with it.”
In addition to the store, Kenny designed custom line By Kenny and says the first drops “was a huge success” and the store’s bestselling apparel so far. He’s continually working on fresh drops but says the must-have of the season is the Travis Scott Reverse Mochas, explaining, “The shoe's low-top design and brown suede with ivory leather accents make them great for fall outfits.”
Also co-founder of esports Organization Gamers First, Kenny says he works around 84 hours a week – but being an owner of multiple companies is a 24/7 gig.” When he’s not working he’s spending time his four sons who can often be found at the facility. It all sounds like a lot, but he says, “I'm extremely passionate about everything I'm involved in, so it's felt almost easy to a degree.”
The Kollective is located at 200 Academy Dr., Austin, TX. For more, check out their Instagram @thekonnectatx.
