Seea - Seeababes

From Laguna with Love: Seea x Thalia

2013-06-09T22:51:00-07:00

Another exclusive collaboration.

From sketches and swatches on paper...

...to real life!

Seea was founded in the DIY spirit that if you have an idea, you can make it happen. For me, this idea was simple: To create rashguards and suits that were stylish, functional and comfortable for surfing. As a supporter of creative artists, Thalia Surf Shop was one of the first retailers to carry SEEA, and has been one of our main supporters over the last two years, helping transform a dreamy idea into reality.

Made with the hopes of inspiring others to follow their dreams, we proudly present MADE IN THE USA, a short video following the creation of our second custom project with Thalia, from concept to the factory to the surf.

For our second exclusive collaboration with Thalia, owner Nick Cocores came along for the ride (or in this case, actually drove the swanky VW bug) to see the step-by-step production process of the Thalia x Seea Doheny rashguard, Swami's playsuit and surf leggings.

Yes, we really drove all the way from Hamburg to downtown Los Angeles in a convertible on the freeway!

Searching for the right color and fabric in a sea of stretchy spandex.

On the way to the factory!

Arriving at the sewing factory in downtown Los Angeles.

In the factory sewing, its a skilled craft to handle slippery stretchy nylon swim fabric.

Leah from Thalia Street Surf Shop hits the nose and shuffles back wearing the Doheny rash guard.

From digging through bolts of fabric and mountains of zippers to watching the pieces being sewn in the downtown Los Angeles factory, it was all documented in moving pictures to show the care and personal touch that is put into the making of a Seea suit—the swimsuit version of the farm-to-table method. Proudly made in the U.S.A.

Check out the video filmed by Chris Steblay of the Seeworthy Project and be inspired to make something, and then have fun surfing in it!

Seea x Thalia Doheny rash guard and palm print leggings available now at the Seea store and Thalia online!

Support Made in the USA!

Surf Souvenirs and Memories with Yuko Shimajiri

2013-05-18T11:24:00-07:00

Yuko Shimajiri at work: in the water and at her store. The stripes are right!

Yuko surfing in the Seea Malibu suit, a very popular style in Japan.

We are continuing our virtual tour of the Japanese surf scene and surfers this month with the introduction of Yuko Shimajiri. Yuko's classic longboard style has won her many contests, one of which introduced her to a friendship with the late Donald Takayama. Surfing has taken her around the world and she opened her store BONS: Casa de Verano in Japan to share her favorite new and interesting discoveries with friends at home.

The name "Bons" comes from the French word bon that means "good," and is also a shortened version of her blog, Bon Bon Surf. Casa de Verano means “summer house” in Spanish. Sipping coffee and watching surf movies projected on the store wall after dawn patrol... sounds like a sublime place to be right now! We talked to Yuko about some of her favorite surfing memories and what its like having a surf shop in Japan.

What is one of your favorite surf memories?

Looking back, one of my favorite memories was early on in my surfing life. I have always liked the classic style of surfing, so I was very excited to meet Donald Takayama in 1999 when he came to Japan to be a guest judge at a contest. There was an autograph signing for Donald the day before, so I went to meet him. Someone brought an Indo board to the signing, and we were all playing around on it. Donald said to me “You can’t surf that.” I told him to watch me in the contest the next day, and I did very well. After the contest, Donald asked me to ride for his team. Three weeks later, I came to California to surf with Donald, and had my very first session at San Onofre. I will never forget that trip.

What are the pleasures you get from surfing?

Whatever situation you are in, if you go to the ocean, you can reset and cleanse yourself. All of the stress melts away.

A look inside Bons Japan

You recently opened your own store, BONS. What has been the most difficult thing about starting the business?

It was very difficult to choose where to open the store, and to decide what type of store BONS would be. Naturally, I wanted to sell surfboards, but there are already plenty of surf stores near the beaches in Japan, which are already competitive and not very welcoming of newcomers.

I also thought about opening a store in Tokyo, but with an urban location, surfing would have been less involved, and in the end, I don’t enjoy the city enough to build my future there. After much thought, I chose a location close to the beach, but on the way back to the city. It’s the perfect combination. I can relax and be myself, and customers from both the beach and the city enjoy stopping by.

BONS also has a coffee shop inside the store. Did you do that to create a sense of community there?

Yes, that was definitely one reason, but I love to see my friends, and I wanted them to feel welcome to stop by the store to relax and visit, without feeling the pressure to buy something. I wanted a place to feature the surfboards and clothing that I enjoy, but also to create a gathering point for the people who I enjoy.

We spy Seea :)

How do women react to Seea when they see it in your store?

Many times when a new customer visits the store, Seea will be the first thing they pick up. “What are these?” they ask. “Is this a wetsuit or a swimsuit?” They are all very curious to find out. Many women who have already heard of Seea want to try them on to see how they fit, as not all swimsuit styles work well for Japanese girls.

What style has been the most popular?

The Malibu is the best! It is beautiful to wear by itself, but it looks pretty with a jacket as well. The style is very flattering for Japanese women, so the suits sold very well.

What is your favorite place to visit in California?

San Francisco is my favorite city, and I always make a trip to surf in Santa Cruz when I’m there. I also love surfing Cardiff Reef. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.

Yuko braving chillier waters.

Ladies Only Pinterest Contest

2012-10-24T15:36:00-07:00

We have gotten some great entries so far for the Seea x Sundance Beach Pinterest contest - Up for grabs is a FREE Swami's Playsuit and a Solamar Bikini Set, so check out the flyer below for details. The contest runs through November 15th, so get your entries polished up & pinned!

On the edge of the "Miracle Mile"

2012-09-12T23:35:00-07:00

The block party on held in honor of Fashion's Night Out had the shops on La Brea Ave humming last Thursday night, including the USA made, artisan boutique Shelter Half.

Setting up shop pre-party with the new Seea display, front & center!!

Our friend Colt Bowden stopped by - just long enough to eat a gyro and paint a few signs. Crafty!

The event was a quite a success - we met fresh faces, sold a few suits, and hung out with a crew of soon-to-be good friends. Much love goes out to Virginie, Davide, & Ken - Thank you for the opportunity and support!

"Vision to see, wisdom to know, courage to do"

-A.W. Ross

Seea at Stade Co.

2012-07-30T20:58:00-07:00

We stopped by Stade Co. last week to drop off their opening order with Seea, and to get a closer look at the new store. Perched atop the third level of South Coast Plaza, Stade Co. brings a modern, accessible feel to an otherwise boushy collection of high end stores. With sleek lines and a unique in-store salon concept, Billy Stade's latest retail venture promises to be a success!

Stade Co brings a well edited selection of street & surf wares to the mix at South Coast Plaza

Craig is amped on the Hermosa - Currently an "Editor's Pick" in Foam Magazine

Next time you are in Costa Mesa, stop by and check out the new store. With great brands & great people, Stade Co.'s got you covered! Keep an eye out for their weekly events as well - "Beer, Bangs, & Buzzes" is on the schedule for tonight, complete with music, discounted trims, & free pizza!!

Going, going, GONE!

2012-06-25T12:27:00-07:00

Just a few days after the official start of Summer, the limited runs of the Swami's Playsuit, Doheny Rashguard, and the new Seeaside rash tank are already nearly SOLD OUT!! We only have a few left of each style, so if you're still on the fence about ordering, enter the coupon code "SEEASIDE" at check out, and receive free domestic shipping on your order, this week only!!

funtemplatesside reversible rash tank

The Doheny Rashguard in blue shell

The Swami's Playsuit in blue shell

If we are sold out of your size - not to worry - Thalia Street in Laguna Beach and Mitch's in Solana Beach have fresh stocks of both styles!

So stoked Summer is finally here - See you in the water!!

New Blue Shell Swami's

2012-06-04T18:54:00-07:00

Seea Summer production keeps rolling in, including the new, ultra-limited Swami's in Blue Shell. With navy shorts, black waistband, and a contrast neon zipper, the new Swami's is a sweet mix color and a unique print - Seea at it's best!

Unique and quite striking herself, our new friend and Seea Babe Donnicka stopped by this weekend to model!

A devil in the details - love the neon zip!!

Due to overwhelming request, we've added XS to the list of available sizes for all new Summer suits! Not sure about your size? Check out our handy size chart, or head straight to Thalia Surf Shop in Laguna and try one on today!!

Seea at Surf Bazaar!

2012-05-21T08:43:00-07:00

Neatly tucked away in a small corner of The Surf Lodge, Montauk's #1 surf leisure destination, Surf Bazaar owner Bethany Mayer has been quietly making waves with her store's well edited selection of stylish surf wares and beach-centric private label garments. Surf Bazaar has quickly become synonymous with the best of beach lifestyle from the East Coast to the Far East, with replica pop up shops in key Ron Herman stores in Japan, and a new location in the works back at home in Sag Harbour.

The original Surf Bazaar store in Montauk

Replica pop up shop in Tokyo, complete with neon flag Surf Bazaar sign

Bethany's trip to Japan chronicled via NYC Surf Collective

We are honored to be included in Surf Bazaar's Summer mix, and are stoked on the opportunity to introduce Seea to "The End" in such grand style. A designer and tastemaker herself, Bethany sets the bar high when it comes to surf fashion, so we are pleased to have passed the test!!

Sold out in stores and online, Surf Bazaar will have limited quantities of the Swami's in Olive Dot! First come, first serve!!

The outdoor lounge in full effect. Not a bad place to spend a day or evening!

Creative sun shade for the restaurant's back deck

Grab your fins and head out - See you at the Surf Lodge this Summer!

Sidewalk Surfing with Cindy Whitehead

2012-05-02T08:41:00-07:00

When sports stylist Cindy Whitehead hit us up a few weeks ago about writing a short article on Seea, we were humbled and stoked! Blazing trails since the 70's, Cindy became one of the world's top women pro skateboarders at age 17. She later went on to become an innovative and successful sports stylist, lending a much needed female perspective to the profession. We love these early shots of Cindy getting rad, so we had to share!!

Cindy gets cheeky on some classic California concrete

Amazing full pipe shot

One footed nose wheelie

Cindy hits the tiles backside with a stylish rail grab

Cindy on Seea:

"I've lived at the beach my whole life and not much surprises me when it comes to women's surfing whether it be wetsuits or swimsuits. But when I stumbled across this awesome new line SEEA, I was stunned. The retro styling, the attention to fabric & fit, as well as the cool print patterns, had me in a second."

To find out more about Cindy and her amazing work, check out her blog, or visit cindywhitehead.com.

From Seea with love,

Thanks Cindy!!

Free Your Mind

2012-04-25T09:30:00-07:00

Swami's playsuit is now available at Free People!

Factory Fact #2 - Markers & Patterns

2012-04-14T23:04:00-07:00

Making swimwear isn't easy!

If you've ever tried your luck with a sewing machine yourself, you probably already know that working with stretchy fabrics can be a nightmare. The seams are difficult, and working out a good pattern can be pretty tough.

Since you need an accurate pattern to replicate a design, it's important that the patterns are done professionally, and that the factory is provided with a guide, or "marker" to cut the patterns pieces. It's also important that the markers are laid out efficiently to minimize fabric waste. The marker is printed on a large plotting machine and laid out over the top of the fabrics to be cut.

Before and after shot - The marker laid out & the cut pieces ready to be sewn.

It's pretty cool to see a skilled worker in action. Equipped with a large, motorized "straight knife", an experienced cutter can slice through hundreds of layers of fabric at the same time. Here's a quick clip of our man in action, cutting out pieces for the samples of the new Polkadot Swami's! (coming to stores next week!!)

It's amazing to watch a design come to life, and it's a great feeling to know where our clothing comes from. It's a long, hard process, and there's plenty more to share, so tune in next week for another fun-filled Seea factory fact!

Gypsy Wardrobe

2012-03-31T09:59:00-07:00

With much of her life spent in or near the water, Danielle Clayton currently works as a surf guide in the Maldives, and runs Surf Gypsy, a website and blog which showcases independently designed products for discerning female surfers.

Here are a few shots of Danielle "hard at work", testing out the Swami's Playsuit!

Pre-session stoke!

Fun rights peeling through

The Salt Gypsy alone in her element. Love this shot!

Danielle takes her surf wear pretty seriously, and the Swami's passed the test with flying colors. Check out Danielle's full work wardrobe here, and get a taste of the Gypsy lifestyle.

Photos: Jade Rogers

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Seea in the new issue of FOAM!

2012-03-01T20:04:00-08:00

We are beyond ecstatic to be featured in the April/May issue of FOAM MAGAZINE.
Check out this gorgeous full page shot of the Swami's Playsuit.