New apr猫s ski fashion boutique opens in Lionshead
Find apr猫s ski and other fun locally designed fashions with a twist
Tricia Swenson/Vail Daily
It may be summer, but you’ll get apr猫s ski vibes when you head into Lionshead’s newest boutique, Snow Bunny. The new brand is an apr猫s ski collection inspired by athleisure trends.
“When I would come on ski trips, I would love to shop and look at all the clothes but everything would be so expensive, whether it was a technical jacket for $2,000 or a sweater for $500 and I just thought that there was an opportunity to create a brand that is fashion forward for apr猫s ski,” said Stacey Bruck, owner and designer at Snow Bunny, which she says fills a niche for attainable yet trendy, high-quality, cold weather fashion.
Interestingly enough, Bruck doesn’t have a background in fashion design. She lives in Austin, Texas and got her degree in accounting and a master’s in marketing and e-commerce from Texas A&M University. So how did a flatlander from a warm climate end up with a boutique in the Vail Valley specializing in apr猫s ski fashion?
“My family loves to ski and I thought, ‘How do I get into this cute little resort town?’ and the idea of Snow Bunny happened one day when I was randomly driving around, and I looked up the name, and thought, ‘how has nobody taken Snow Bunny?’ So, I trademarked it and started designing right away,” Bruck said. “I got it registered so now it’s trademark approved here and actually overseas so I can expand and bring the brand elsewhere.”
Bruck started with the logo and worked with a graphic designer to come up with a circle with an image of bunny ears and goggles, and that symbol is a big part of her fashions.
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“I love my logo. We have it embroidered on our puffer vests, sweatshirts, hats, scarfs, belt bags and then I even have it etched on wine glasses and made into a necklaces,” Bruck said. In addition to those items, Bruck has more couture fashions to offer, too.
“I work with a seamstress near Austin, and I also am going to work with one here, too,” Bruck said. “I love to mix fabrics. That’s actually one of my favorite things to do. I’ll do a jean jacket mixed with sherpa for a ski town, cowboy vibe. Or, I’ll go to the leather tannery and pick up something to enhance a denim dress. It’s fun to put a different twist on things,” Bruck said.
Since it was summertime, Bruck designed a swimwear line, aptly named Sun Bunny, with a variety of styles and fabrics in one-piece and two-piece styles. The logo swapped out the ski goggles for aviator sunglasses.
“The swimwear and cover-ups are great for lounging by the pool this summer and for hot tubbing after skiing this winter,” Bruck said. She has jean jackets and denim vests that can also complement a summer outfit while taking the chill out of the cool mountain air at night.
Bruck said she was fortunate to find retail space rather quickly 鈥� this whole idea launched in Bruck’s head about a year ago 鈥� and Snow Bunny has set up shop in the Arrabelle in the former Arriesgado space.
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“I wasn’t supposed to move in until closer to the ski season but then things happened sooner than later, and I was open by the GoPro Mountain Games,” Bruck said. The accelerated timeline did not bother Bruck. The mother of three sons in their teens and tweens said she’s used to a hectic schedule and hit the ground running with this idea.
“I’ve always been a person who doesn’t just talk about things. I’m more of an action person. If I tell you I want to try or do something, I don’t get caught up in the indecision that I think a lot of people get caught up in. I look at the risks. I look at the choices, listen to my gut and pick the best thing and roll with it,” Bruck said. “All of this has led me here in less than a year, which has been kind of a crazy roller coaster ride, but so much fun.”
Even though Snow Bunny is open, there’s no slowing down for Bruck. She is hiring team members at the store and is also working on Snow Bunny organic vodka to go with the apr猫s ski vibe and hopes to launch that in the fall in between trips back home to be with her family but is so excited for the future of Snow Bunny.
“Fashion has always been a passion of mine. I remember in high school when I’d get bored at school I used to doodle, and I would dream about having a dress shop. So, this is kind of a dream come true,” Bruck said.
The store is open daily and you can also shop online at and follow Snow Bunny on social media for information on events and offerings.
