These Wetsuits are Redefining Surfer Style
By Hannah Sellers
In the media, Summer 2025 became shorthand for a ritzy escape—what fashion outlets dubbed a “Hamptons summer.” Style authorities from Who What Wear to Vogue painted scenes of evenings at the Surf Lodge, afternoons wandering Amagansett’s quaint streets, and an effortless blend of polish and coastal ease. But it’s not just the lifestyle that defines the season—it’s the people. Or, more specifically, what they’re wearing. And this year, they’re wrapped in bold florals and bursts of color, which can only mean one thing: it’s a Cynthia Rowley summer.
On the far eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk surfers catch waves in wetsuits splashed with geometric prints and chic detailing, a playful departure in uniform for a sport long defined by thick black neoprene and boxy zippers. Among the breaks, Cynthia Rowley’s designs stand out. The New York City designer hasn’t just softened the surf look, but she’s reimagined an alternative, turning functional gear into something aspirational where one can look as good as they feel out on the water.
While Rowley had long designed pieces for the water, her interest in creating wetsuits grew from her own love for surfing. “We’ve always made swim and rash guards, but I started making wetsuits about 15 years ago for very selfish reasons—I wanted something great to wear while I was surfing,” Rowley told Awake.
Her love affair with the sport began when she bought her first home in Montauk, which she affectionately called a “little shack” in an interview with Hamptons Social. Friends insisted that if she lived on the beach, she had to try her hand at surfing. A few waves in, and she was hooked. “It changed my life forever,” she says. Out on the water, she feels “completely unplugged from life’s stresses and completely plugged in to mother nature, friends, and family.”
Rowley has made it her mission to spread the joy she finds in surfing, just as her friend once did for her. “Now I want to share that love for the sport with everyone I can,” she says.
Since summer 2018, Rowley has brought her brand’s signature spirit to Montauk’s iconic beaches with an annual, invite-only surf retreat. In the ocean town, where Rowley has a second home and a retail storefront, she hosts a weekend of beginning-friendly coaching, wellness sessions, lively dinner parties, and her own surf-girl glamour. While details of the itinerary shift year to year, the purpose remains consistent in growing the sport and style in tandem.
For her 2025 Surf Camp this July, attendees checked into the Marram, a Montauk barefoot luxury resort, and suited up in Rowley’s latest designs before spending the day learning to ride the waves. The night spilled into a dinner at Bagatelle, cocktails, and a toast from Rowley herself—equal parts saltwater and sparkle. Before the campers departed for the city the following afternoon, Rowley’s team hosted a bouquet making morning accompanied by bagels and Bloom Nutrition’s supplement sodas.
Since its founding, Rowley’s camp has evolved into more than a weekend of fun-in-the-sun; it’s brand’s dream social media moment, with attendees broadcasting Rowley’s surf-girl spirit to audiences far beyond Montauk. The camp has become an avenue to not only share the sport with women in the New York area, but on a global scale through the influencers who carry the experience back to their communities.
It’s a summer ritual that empowers creators to challenge themselves on the water, balancing adventure with aesthetics—every wetsuit, beach picnic, and Bagatelle dinner perfectly calibrated for Instagram stories and TikToks. Brands host influencer trips all the time, but few communicate the essence of their ethos as seamlessly as Rowley’s surf camp.
That same ethos extends into her wider brand universe. This summer, Rowley unveiled her Montauk Edit with a capsule collection of breezy dresses, playful prints, and surfwear inspired by her life out east. And beyond the beach, her latest golf line collaboration with Fore All brings that same splash of femininity and fun to yet another male-dominated sport, reimagining khakis and polos in favor of soft florals and flattering silhouettes.
Whether in the water, on the fairway, or strolling through town, Rowley’s designs insist on joy, color, and a playful spirit. It’s not just a Hamptons summer—it’s a Cynthia Rowley summer.
