From Artist, to Fashion PR girl, to Designer & CEO of Gila Swim.. McKenzie was born and raised in Texas before moving to Malibu, California at 18 years old to begin her college career at Pepperdine University. Over the course of her studies as an art major on scholarship for studio art, she spent many hours painting, traveling Europe, and gaining experience in Fashion PR both in London and Los Angeles. After graduating from Pepperdine, she continued her career in Fashion PR for years gaining very influential experience in the industry. Eventually, she realized that the industry was not exactly fulfilling her and that instead of managing a list full of clients she’d rather put everything she had into one, her own, and that’s when Gila Swim was born.