La Bella Vita: Seea x Thalia Surf

Individuality may be one of the most important things you possess. When mixed with salt water and one helluva creative drive, Amanda Chinchelli introduced women surfers and fashionistas alike to Seea, her new surf driven swimwear line. While surfing in Costa Rica, Amanda found there was a growing need for better, more feminine swimwear that catered to the women who glide on the water.

Made in The USA - From Laguna with Love: Seea x Thalia from The Seea on Vimeo.

What first started out as personal suits for her and her friends, soon quickly became an influential women's swimwear brand, showing women surfers that you can look stylish both in and out of the water while not having to worry about your swimsuit performing or holding up. From one pieces to rashguards to bikinis and soon wetsuits, Seea has grown into a successful creative outlet for Amanda and all the while has helped us at Thalia Surf to offer some amazing pieces of craftsmanship to our female followers. Growing up in Italy, Amanda was raised in a culture that celebrates working with your hands. Whether it was tweaking vintage garments to her liking or digging through the local flea market, Amanda knew that to be happy and content in her work, she had to have something for herself. Something she could create on her own. Enter the world of Seea.
"Color is the main thing I love. I think I got it from digging the flea markets. The old prints, the colors, the combinations. My mom and I, that's what we love, always dressing a little bit different than everyone else. People would love it and you can make it look expensive too! You just have to be able to put it together. Those are the things I get the most inspiration from."
Amanda saw a void, one that she could fill. The women she surfed with had nothing to wear when they were out in the water, or at least nothing they wanted to wear. Nothing spoke to these 'graceful sliders of the Seea'. "That's the problem with women's surf wear today, it's always freakin neon! Why do I have to wear that all the time? It always looks so sporty. You should be able to wear something a bit more toned down, but still fun. The 50's era, had that, but with a little touch of the brights, I love that. I just don't even think too much now, I really get a lot from the colors and combining them. It's always combined with something that's a bit more muted."

Now almost two years in the making, Seea is quickly growing and gaining traction at a lot of our local breaks and the world over. The Seea Babes are helping to define a growing culture of women surfers and long boarders, eager to carve their own 'bella vita' at the beach. "In the 60s they wanted to express themselves through clothing. They wanted to be out there and wear rainbow pants. Why not? That is one of the things that I love to hear from people. They feel good when they wear Seea. They feel like they surf better. That's what clothes are supposed to make you feel, right? When you feel good, your style looks good, your posture is better, you feel more composed."

At Thalia Surf, we've seen Seea grow from the very beginning and the amount of work that Amanda and her husband, Brian, have put into the brand to get it where it's at today is uncanny. Naturally, we were extremely excited for the opportunity to work with them and create an exclusive collection of suits for Thalia Surf. With the help of Seeworthy Project, we've put together a video that shows the process from start to finish of this Seea x Thalia Surf collaboration. We hope you enjoy the process and the finished products, but most importantly we hope you find inspiration in one person's individuality and the fulfillment one can enjoy by doing something that you love. Be sure to check out all our Seea's goods over at the shop.