Fall 2021

Behind the Scenes at Bandits

10/12/2021

We love the tagline at New York's buzziest new watering hole, Bandits, where we shot our Fall 2021 campaign: "Celebrate nothing and every-thing." It's emblazoned in big, bold, all-caps text high above a corner booth for everyone to see—four simple words that perfectly capture our festive, get-out-the-disco-ball mindset for the season.

"There is always something to celebrate even when seemingly there is no reason to," explains co-partner Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton of the phrase. "Some of the best nights we have in this city are the spontaneous ones where you’ve planned for nothing, and suddenly everything you didn’t know you needed happens."

We photographed Ramirez-Fulton and her #IRL crew of friends, all movers and shakers in the downtown creative scene—including her business partner and husband, Adam Fulton. To keep the six degrees of New York going, we also invited one of our designer friends, Todd Snyder, to dress the men.

As for the name of the upscale diner and dive bar, it's a mischievous nod to the notion of stealing time (another restaurant slogan, spotted on the menus is "stealing time on the daily"). Yes, there's a nostalgic tinge to the interior, ranging from the Fifties to the Eighties. And, yes, "there's a timelessness to the bar that we wanted to evoke," says Ramirez-Fulton. "But you're also stealing a bit of time for yourself. Many say we're on borrowed time, but stealing an hour for yourself, for that beer or that burger after work, is important. You can come and steal away with us every day."

We say RSVP yes to it all. Get ready. Get out there. And fall back into friends, laughter and the joy of going out again…

P.S. Below, for those outside of New York City, Ramirez-Fulton shares how to recreate a slice of Bandits at home. Just shake up one of its signature cocktails—two guesses who the inspiration is—and hit play… And to learn more about her powerhouse career, read her #MAKEITHAPPEN feature here.