Think fashion stops at the shore? Think again. These three designers are giving the beach the catwalk treatment with elevated clothing, swimsuits and body apparel—all sustainably made in LA.
Hamabla’s less-is-best SoCal-ready beachwear perfectly pairs with accessories like the Ella Boater hat, $215, and the Malibu Market tote, $275.
When Joelle Maynard steppd off of the corporate treadmill, the former Wall Street and Silicon Valley finance executive who helped take Salesforce public made it her mission to offer women a chic yet comfortable out-of-office wardrobe for anything but traditional corporate life. The result? Beach Pajamas, a capsule collection of LA-crafted beachwear separates that do double duty as resort and sleepwear. Maynard, who lives in Malibu, credits the beach as her muse. “Beach Pajamas are designed to be simple, elegant, but most of all comfortable,” she says of the flexible separates such as camisoles, shorts, skirts, pants, dresses, robes and more, all made out of supersoft cotton. “I literally designed them with beach vacations, staycations, sleep and leisure in mind. Each garment is mindfully made to feel luxurious on the skin but also to insert style into the most mundane of activities. There’s no shame in answering the doorbell in your jammies anymore!” This season, Maynard brings the online collection to brick-and-mortar reality with Hamabla, her summer pop-up boutique in Santa Monica. 2914 Main St., Santa Monica, hamabla.com
With a goal of making swimwear sustainable, Natasha Tonić swaps out nonbiodegradable nylon and polyester for environmentally friendly natural hemp. And she does it without skimping on style. Instead, the 41-year-old Serbian-born, LAbased designer’s line of minimalist bathing suits gives classic silhouettes a modern twist. Think timeless one- and two-pieces with peek-a-boo cutouts, mutable bikini tops that move to your mood, and even a one-piece emblazoned with floral images. Fans include BBC correspondent and royal Julie Montagu, Marina Testino and actress Michaela Conlin. All suits are made in Los Angeles from hemp fiber that is antimicrobial, UV-resistant, durable and ultrasoft on the skin. natashatonic.com
Looking to bling out that bikini? Neva Nude creates sustainably made-in-LA body stickers that let you shimmer and shine under the sun. Worn by Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Paris Hilton, the body stickers are 100 percent hypoallergenic and waterproof, last up to 10 hours and are made with latex-free, medical-grade adhesive for total ease of use. Best of all, hundreds of designs let you customize that best beach look with options that range from hearts and rainbows to seashells, starfish and so much more. Choose from sequins, glitter and even blacklight reactive materials to keep sparkling even after the sun goes down. nevanude.com
Photography by: Photography by Rebecca Pagan/Hamabla
