The surf’s up and there’s a big swell of designers finding inspiration in paradise this summer. From Ricardo Tisci’s fun Hawaiian prints for Givenchy Resort 2012 to Michael Kors’ electric wetsuits, beach chic has never looked better. Here, at Beach Tomato, we share a few surfer-turned-designers on our radar who have started to make a big splash on the fashion scene.

Crap Eyewear

Wild sunglasses for wild people—that’s just Crap. These funky sunglasses, (we like ‘The Beach Party’ with blue reflective lenses and the ‘The Nudie Mag’ in tortoise shell), were officially launched by two Southern California beach rats in summer 2009. Since then, these sunnies have become a cult favorite along coastal towns in California and are now worn by the likes of Lil Wayne, M.I.A., and Raquel Zimmermann.

Of their inspiration, Peter Nussbaum (who co-designs the line with Nick Potash), says, "When designing for Crap, we are heavily influenced by many decades of beach culture. 60s surf greasers, 70s LSD psychedelia, 80s skateboarding and punk rock, and 90s beachwear are just a handful of the many Californian beach cults that we draw inspiration from.”

www.crapeyewear.com

Saturdays Surf

In an urban jungle like Manhattan, where you are far from sandy beaches lined with palm trees, surf shops might not seem like they would be in high demand—wrong. In August 2009, avid wave riders Morgan Collett, Josh Rosen, and Colin Tunstall provided Montauk and Rockaway Beach-bound New Yorkers with a solution when they launched Saturdays Surf store in Soho. There, you can pick up gear, like Cynthia Rowley x Roxy wetsuits or Tanner Prairie Boards, and the brand’s own stylish clothing, like their signature T-shirts garnering the attention of fashion insiders around the world.

www.saturdaysnyc.com

Nixon

Wipe out, or watch out? The Nixon watch company founders, surfers Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna, decided to do both. Frustrated by the lack of watch offerings to fit their lifestyle, the California boys created chic watches able to withstand the stress of snow and sand. You won’t get bored of these watches, like ‘The Nixon Sam’ for men or ‘The Time Teller P’ in bright green for women, even if you don’t ride any sort of board at all. Also, they now have some seriously chic, colorful headphones and apparel that we are pretty stoked on.

www.nixonnow.com

Drug Money Art

Argentinean-born, New York-based surfer Tin Ojeda’s line of T-shirts, D/M Art, was essentially a happy accident. His shirts happened to get splotched while he painted surfboards, but he didn’t think much of it until his surfer buddies started to comment on how cool they looked and he quickly realized the business potential. These days, Ojeda’s line of one-of-a-kind, unisex shirts, sold on the shelves at Barney’s New York and Rogan, are a little more thought out, drawing inspiration from various sources, such as the rising “surf culture of the 50s and 60s.”

www.drugmoneyart.com

Reyn Spooner x Opening Ceremony

Hawaiian shirts are festive but not always fashionable, until now. Reyn Spooner, a classic mainstay for islanders for almost 60 years, has bridged that difficult gap with their new limited collection of shirts and dresses for Opening Ceremony.

"Everyone has a little beach culture in their life, whether you can actually see the beach or whether you're just wearing a pair of flip flops, it all brings to mind the fun of the surf and sand lifestyle," says Reyn Spooner creative director, Gordon Thompson, of their latest collaboration.

Look a little too bright and playful for your liking? Balance out one of these pairs of tropical printed shorts with a basic T-shirt and boat shoes and we promise you will look city ready, instead of Bahamas-bound.

www.openingceremony.us

Kristin Studeman writes for style.com and is a Contributing Fashion Features Editor for Beach Tomato