LAUNE x Surfly
Surfly is rooted in the feeling of coastal life, from long summer days to the ease of throwing on something you can wear anywhere. Founded by Lindsay, the brand blends coastal nostalgia with thoughtfully designed everyday pieces, drawing inspiration from vintage clothing, old photographs, family memories, and life by the water. At its core, Surfly captures an easy, nostalgic approach to getting dressed, with pieces made for wherever the day takes you. Below, Lindsay shares more on the inspiration behind Surfly, her creative process, and what’s next for the brand.
1. Tell me about yourself and Surfly. How was it created?
I'm Lindsay, the founder of Surfly. I'm a Carolina girl through and through, and I currently live in Chicago. I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Growing up, I was constantly creating something—running lemonade stands, making jewelry, posting YouTube videos, and starting a thrift-flip business in high school. I started Surfly during my sophomore year at UNC Chapel Hill in the middle of the pandemic. With classes online and extra time on my hands, I wanted to build something that reflected what I loved most: the feeling of the coast. I began by embroidering designs onto wholesale blanks while learning everything I could about the fashion industry.
After graduating, I attended a fashion trade show in Las Vegas, where I met the manufacturers and suppliers I still work with today. That experience helped turn Surfly from an idea into a real brand, and in 2024 we launched our first cut-and-sew collection, Set Sail. It marked a new chapter for Surfly, and seeing something that had lived in my head for years finally come to life was incredibly rewarding. Even more meaningful was having my friends, family, and customers supporting the journey along the way.
2. What is the LAUNE (mood) of Surfly?
Surf, by definition, is the line of foam where the ocean meets the shore. Surfly lives in that space—the in-between. Our pieces are designed to bridge the gap between land and sea, creating transitional staples for a life well-lived. Rooted in coastal nostalgia, each collection is inspired by the places, memories, and moments that capture the feeling of life by the water.
3. What inspires you?
I've always been inspired by the coastal lifestyle: its simplicity, its beauty, the balance of slowing down while staying active. The way people live simply but with meaning.
4. What does the creative process look like?
Each collection draws inspiration from real places, memories, textures, and experiences. Our first collection, Set Sail, was inspired by the angles and fabrics of sailing. You can see it in the sharp angles of the cuts and stitching of the Sail Set, and the heavy cotton materials used for the Loop Short and Harbor Hoodie.
Our next collection, Summer Nostalgia, was inspired by long days spent under the sun and on the beach as kids. We portrayed that playful energy throughout the campaign and design process, with easy to throw on daily essentials that you’ll reach for without thinking.
Our newest collection, Sun, pulls its color palette directly from sunrises and sunsets. The fabric we developed is brushed on one side and cooling on the other, designed to support you during a sweat or swim.
My process usually starts with sketching ideas and collecting inspiration from vintage pieces, old family sweatshirts, magazines, books, and photographs. Of course, Pinterest boards help shape the visual mood of a campaign, but the inspiration behind our products always comes from real life.
5. Tell me about the Surfly Club.
Surfly Club began as a lifestyle blog on our website and has evolved into a community of our most loyal customers. It’s also an Instagram page where I share behind-the-scenes moments from the design process, inspiration from everyday life, and stories from people living the Surfly lifestyle.
6. How do you want people to feel when they wear Surfly?
I want people to feel the most themselves in Surfly. Each piece we create is meant to take the attention off what you’re wearing and put it back on what you’re doing. Our goal is to create pieces that move with you through your day so you can spend less time thinking about your clothes and more time enjoying the moments that matter.
7. What’s next for you and Surfly?
I recently moved to Chicago and work full-time while continuing to build Surfly in every spare moment I have. That often means late nights, early mornings, and frequent solo trips back to Wilmington, but I genuinely love every part of the process. We're continuing to grow with each collection, and my goal is simply to keep making better products every season. I'm also excited to start documenting more of the journey, sharing more founder content across TikTok and YouTube, and documenting the process as Surfly continues to grow.
Rapid Fire:
1. Describe your style in three words.
Coastal, Classic, Collected
2. Favorite Surfly piece?
Right now, it’s the Tini Tank since I’m wearing it. But it might change tomorrow lol
3. Dream collab?
Surfly x Vacation Sunscreen. I’ve also always loved scents so maybe a candle or soap collaboration with Le Labo, Byredo, or Salt and Stone. I have to also plug our recent mug collab with Social Coffee in Wrightsville Beach.
4. What are three staple items that every closet should have?
A fresh white 100% cotton tee (Daily Tee)
A staple pair of medium wash denim
A neutral cotton knit you can throw over your shoulders or wear over a bikini (Harbor Fisherman Knit)
5. Favorite place?
Wrightsville Beach, NC
6. Favorite restaurant in Wrightsville Beach?
That’s impossible to choose, but Tower7, Perla, and Seabird are at the top of my list.
7. Favorite drinks spot in Wrightsville Beach?
Lighthouse Beer and Wine (get the Frosé and sit in the beer garden)
Social Coffee (get the Surfly Cloud!)
8. Favorite style icon?
Princess Diana
9. Favorite movies?
The Holiday, Lilo & Stitch, Cheaper by the Dozen
10. What are you loving right now?
Summer in Chicago, golden kiwis, Surfly flare capris (coming soon), Olivia Dean on vinyl
LAUNE x Surfly
LAUNE x Surfly
