California Dreaming with Seaesta Surf
We are happy to announce a partnership with Kids à la Mode for the Playtime B2B Marketplace!
Informative, attractive, and fun! Enter the world of Kids à la Mode filled with the most current children's fashion and home decor trends. Keeping manufacturers and buyers well informed about the latest trends and wonderful new sources of discovery, Kids à la Mode brings together talented creators, brands, and stores, offering them a platform for global exposure.
Janet Jacobs, the editor-in-chief, soaks in the Californian beach vibe with Seaesta Surf - a fun, vintage surf-inspired collection of eco-friendly swimwear.
Kids à la Mode gets the Seaesta Surf story from company co-founder Julia Wheeler, who just happens to be the mom of kids who love to surf, snack and nap.
How did the idea for Seaesta Surf begin?
We started Seaesta Surf in 2015 when my business partner and I had toddler sons and could not find any boardshorts we liked that fit well and had designs that we liked. Most boardshorts on the market at that time were really baggy and the designs were very baby- focused. We tested a few different art styles and two different fits and were able to see what colors and fits people were really looking for. After our first year of testing the market, we started getting requests for swimsuits so we developed a one-piece swimsuit for full coverage with cool artwork.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference (if any) between boardshorts and swim trunks?
Same product, just different terminology! Our boardshorts are made from 51% organic cotton, 49% recycled polyester. This fabric blend is quick-drying and gives our designs a slightly faded, vintage look. Our boardshorts have a slim, shorter, retro cut and a working drawstring to help cinch the shorts.
What fabrics do you use? How do your clothes show your company's commitment to ecology?
Our boardshorts are made from 51% organic cotton, 49% recycled polyester. Our swimsuits are 80% recycled nylon, 20% spandex fabric that’s made in Italy. Our shipping envelopes are biodegradable and compostable and 100% recycled. We also take great pride in creating high-quality, durable swimwear that lasts for years. We still have families sending us photos of swimwear from our first couple of seasons that they’ve passed down to multiple kids!
How do you ensure that your brand is sustainable and ethically produced?
Our brand is produced in an environmentally responsible factory in China. It is compliant in the following areas: worker’s safety, fair wages and benefits, and dedication to minimizing environmental impacts.
I love your designs! They have that slightly vintage, sun-faded California feel, and your color palettes are so natural, earthy and pleasing. Please tell us about your design influences and your collaborations with independent artists.
Yes! We are inspired by vintage surf and skateboarding designs and culture so we look to a lot of vintage clothing for inspiration on color palettes. We work with a few different independent artists each season who create unique artwork just for us! This season we also worked with an 80s band called the Surf Punks and have another band collaboration up our sleeves for 2021. We also have licensed collections for 2020 & 2021 with Peanuts, using their vintage Snoopy and Charlie Brown art catalogs.
Who do you work with to create the wonderful images and videos seen on your website?
We work with different photographers, bloggers and content creators all year. Our main collections are shot by Taryn Kent and then throughout the season, we work with different creators. This summer we did a surf shoot with Cole Ferguson, which was shot out in the water, completely on film. We also worked with Jordan Rebello and her daughter, Poppy, on an all-film campaign, featuring 8MM video and film stills.
Where do the majority of your sales come from? Have you had to adjust your selling during this challenging time?
We sell directly from our website as well as wholesale to select retailers in the US, Australia and Japan. During the pandemic, we had some retailers who weren’t able to keep their orders due to closures but for the most part, we were able to ship as normal!
Your clothes are dedicated to kids who love to "surf, eat and nap". Sounds good to me! How does this philosophy inspire your brand and your lifestyle?
The idea is that we just want to inspire kids to be kids! We want our collections to be fun and youthful, yet stylish. In our own lives, we love to be at the beach and pool. My kids basically live in one of those two places all summer! Of course, snacking and eating is what happens naturally when they’re using up all that energy! Then as any parent knows, our lives revolve around our kids’ sleep!
We'd love to hear more about your exciting upcoming collection featuring the iconic Peanuts gang.
We are hoping to launch the first drop of our Peanuts collection in early October. We are using artwork from their vintage catalog so it will be surf, skate and vintage- inspired. We are honored to collaborate with such an iconic artist and characters and can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!
seaestasurf.com
Instagram: @seaestasurf
Read more exciting articles in Kids a la Mode: A Global Review of Children's Fashion and Decor - Issue #6: available November 2020
