Slip Into SurfMonk

Rain or shine, being comfy is always key. makes it a bit easier with lots of cuteness and style. I think I found my new favorite hoodie.

“The items are of luxury and quality,” said Tara Kramer, manager of the SurfMonk store at 21219 Pacific Coast Highway, about the designs by company founders Claudia Taylor and Matt Lasky. “And they’re all eco—made of bamboo, cotton and vegetable dye.”

OK, now I’m really curious. Tara explained that bamboo is grown without pesticides or chemicals. In addition, it has antibacterial properties and doesn’t hold mold or moisture.

“Originally designed for surfers, they could change into this fabric and it wouldn’t hold the moisture,” Tara said.

OK, tell me more. Everything just looks so cute. But I’m not a surfer.

“You definitely don’t have to surf to love SurfMonk,” said Tara, as if she could read my mind.

Claudia and Matt, who are siblings and Malibu residents, started the company about three years ago and already are worldwide. Their robes are a staple at luxury spas and at the Four Seasons. They even have an international following.

“It’s funny, we get orders from all over the world," Tara said. "Spain or Norway … and we always ask, ‘How did you hear about us?’ And they’ll say they were on vacation and saw someone wearing one of our pieces, and had to Google it.” 

With about a third of the sales coming from the Internet, SurfMonk's website is informative and very shop-able. Another third comes from retail and the final third comes from wholesale orders. To ensure the company has a minimal carbon footprint, all items are made in the United States in downtown Los Angeles, away from sweatshops. The warehouse is right behind the little 500-square-foot PCH shop.

“We originally just started this location for the warehouse,” Tara said. “But we’d come up front and get all these notes on the door asking for store hours or if people could come in and buy things. So we decided to open up the front retail shop.”

The storefront sells other eco friendly items, including jewelry designers Tiger Lily, Buju and Meg Freeman. The company also partners with causes involved with the safety of the ocean and marine life, and it gives back to the community on many occasions. Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, an organization that works to restore the dwindling food chains in our oceans, benefited from the store’s grand opening, and received 20 percent of the profits.

And people shop the store! Tara said everyone from Jack Nicholson, Pink, Simon Baker and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as locals, come in and buy “multiples.”

Much of the popularity comes from the softness and luxuriousness of the fabric.

“The feeling of the fabric just gets better with time,” Tara said.

SurfMonk items are made from fibers of 70 percent bamboo and 30 percent cotton, and “the more it is washed, the softer it gets—it feels like cashmere.”

Items include hoodies, robes, skirts, pants and shorts. They are made for men and women. While the robe design has been in process for more than 10 years and the company has been thriving for more than three, and it seems as though it spans the globe, the locals still see opportunities to share the brand.

“We work really hard and we’re still growing,” Tara said.

Well, they’re doing so in luxury!

SurfMonk, 21219 PCH; 310-382-1558