Surf School Confidential
Typically, celebrities and athletes, not surfing instructors, launch their own fashion lines and stores. However, Izzy Tihanyi, founder of the Surf Diva Surf School, opened a 2,000-square-foot boutique in La Jolla, Calif., on June 6 to sell the surf fashions that she co-designs.
Coco Tihanyi—Izzy’s twin sister, co-owner of the Surf Diva shop and codesigner of the Surf Diva collection—said she and Izzy started thinking about designing surf clothes after Izzy’s students complained they couldn’t find boardshorts and surfwear made for a woman’s body.
By 1999, the sisters were selling rash guards, T-shirts and sweat shirts with the Surf Diva logo on their Web site, www.surfdiva.com. They were profitable in their first year of business, said Coco, who did not disclose revenue information. The growing business paved the way for a bricks-and-mortar store.
Because their business is surfing, the Tihanyis sell Surf Diva surfboards shaped by Craig Hollingsworth and private-label boardshorts ($42 to $45) crafted out of nylon and microfiber. Sizes range from 1 to 17, and inseams end right above the knee. The store also sells women’s swimwear by Rio de Janeiro–based Salinas, San Diego–based Vix and Point Conception of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Price points for these brands range from $50 to $160.
The Tihanyis wholesale Surf Diva at seven doors nationwide, including Hansen Surfboards in Encinitas, Calif., and Frontrunners in Los Angeles. —Andrew Asch
