Aviator Nation didn’t set out to define a lifestyle, but somewhere along the way, it started to. Maybe you’ve eyed the electric yellow lightning bolts on someone at the farmers market, or spotted the sunset-inspired logo fronting a music festival merch stand, or perhaps you’ve seen a teenager pull a “Locals Only” tee over a swimsuit without a second thought. Wherever you frequent, you’ve probably crossed paths with the brand. Synonymous with its six sunfaded rainbow stripes, Aviator Nation has become one of the most recognizable uniforms of laid-back American cool.
Nineteen years ago, founder and CEO Paige Mycoskie sewed her first pair of sweatpants in her Venice Beach garage. At the time, Mycoskie never imagined she was building the next cult athleisure brand, let alone one that would take Southern California surf culture’s aesthetics to the national stage. Rather, the urge to create came to her while she was still damp after a daily surf session.
“It all started with my need for easy clothes to throw on after getting out of the water,” she tells The Wake Edit. “There is nothing better than throwing on a cozy sweatsuit after jumping out of the cold Pacific.”
Mycoskie’s quest for comfort seemed simple. However, nothing on the market felt soft enough or embodied the retro-chic style she desired. Driven by a purely personal mission, Mycoskie turned her garage into a studio, and between shifts logging data at the local surf shop, taught herself to sew. The world, it turned out, shared her craving for a better sweatpant. Once she stepped out in her DIY designs, strangers began stopping her to ask what she was wearing and how they could get their hands on a pair. “From pretty much day one, I knew it was special,” she says. “I’ve always known it was going to be big just by the reaction people have to it.”
With only $500, Mycoskie invested in a booth at a street fair on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, curious if projected interest in her handmade clothes would convert to sales. In a single afternoon, she made $8,000. Promptly she quit her job and returned full-time to her makeshift studio. Mycoskie’s garage remained the production floor for an entire year before she transitioned to a small factory. Three years later, Mycoskie opened Aviator Nation’s first storefront—and in a full-circle moment—on Abbot Kinney. It’s still there today, now among 19 flagship locations across the country.
Nearly two decades later, Mycoskie’s commitment to craftsmanship has not wavered. In an industry that often scales at the expense of quality and product integrity, Mycoskie has kept every stitch local, continuing the brand’s practice of handmaking all its garments in California. She believes this approach is a major reason customers have kept returning for almost 20 years. “I built the roots of the brand off of making sure the quality stays good at all costs. The level of detail that goes into what we do makes it different and special,” Mycoskie says. “Of course, the softness is addicting too!” She’s not wrong. If you’ve ever touched an Aviator Nation sweatshirt, you understand why people buy another one, and then another after that.
The hedonistic colors, inherent “California-cool” aesthetic, and imperfect stitching all pay homage to the music and fashion of the 1970s—a source of inspiration Mycoskie shares with the brand’s fans. “I think in general, a lot of people love nostalgia,” she says. “That sun-drenched look is careless and free—and that’s just a great feeling to have. The best style is the style that looks amazing even when you’re not trying too hard.”
Perhaps it is this universal appeal of ease that might explain the brand’s broad reach. A-listers wear it, but so do actual surfers. Teenagers are obsessed with it, but so are their parents (and not in a trying-too-hard way). That’s one of the things Mycoskie finds so remarkable about Aviator Nation’s influence. “An entire family can walk into one of our stores and find something they love,” she says. “I’ve seen fathers and daughters shop together, mothers and daughters too.” Her theory on the brand’s success across demographics is simple: “When people are comfortable, they look better and more confident. You can’t not feel good wearing Aviator Nation.”
If Aviator Nation has a muse, it’s Mycoskie herself. She lives the sun-soaked, outdoor lifestyle she designs for. Mycoskie’s dream day is not an idle one; it’s morning surfing, afternoon snowboarding, then mountain biking and scuba diving, gathering creative inspiration along the way. “Oh, and I’m for sure still running the company while this is all happening,” she says. “I’m usually designing my best stuff when I’m on an adventure somewhere!” Nature is her primary palette. “I draw color inspiration from sunsets, the ocean, the greens in the trees. It’s all around me,” she explains.
Of the elements, the water is certainly her calling. “I am a Pisces, and I always need to be near the water,” she shares. “When I’m in California, I’m at the beach in Venice or Malibu, and when I’m in Austin, Texas, I’m on Lake Austin surfing behind the boat.” A Texas native, Mycoskie opened Aviator Nation’s Austin flagship location back in 2018. “Other than that, I love Indonesia and the North Shore of Kauai.” The brand currently has one Hawaii storefront, in Oahu.
A car floor freshly dusted with sand, salt still crystallizing on your skin, the Pacific glowing gold at the edges, all set to the tune of your favorite bygone rock band. It is this kind of sun-soaked euphoria, somewhere between a surf break and a vintage record spinning, that Aviator Nation has built its clothing empire on. Coming up on two decades, that feeling is still woven into every garment. What began as one woman’s search for the perfect post-surf sweatpant has evolved into an unstoppable brand. The fact that Mycoskie’s designs resonated with the world is something she will never take for granted and is what continues to fuel both her and Aviator Nation.