Behind Seea and our swimsuits is a team of creative, hardworking, and inventive women who are always trying to push the envelope of function and fashion in surfing. From creating the first Surf Suit to making bikinis that are flattering and stay on, our design and production team is always looking at what women want to try and create the best possible swimsuits for you.
We get lots of questions about our design process, who is behind your favorite suits, and what is is like to work at Seea. We brought these questions to Sabina Sauce, our Product Developer and Technical Designer and Sonja Andersen our Production Manager. Learn more about these awesome women and the design process at Seea!
Sabina Sauce, Product Developer and Technical Designer
Where are you from?
I’m from Caracas, Venezuela.
What is your role at Seea?
I am the Product Developer/Technical Designer at Seea, which means that I’m the one that transforms the designs into product. I work as a connecting bridge between our design team and the factories, explaining or expressing what our end goal is for a design or style, sampling prototypes and making the adjustments we need to achieve the final product we envisioned (and so much more…)
Did you like surfing and design as a kid? What were you like as a child?
I’ve always loved the ocean and the sea and was very lucky to spend a lot of time at the beach while growing up. I’m an only child, and I was brought up in a family of artists, so I spent a lot of time absorbing from the different mediums my family would practice and learning to express through creating things on my own. But, yes! I’ve always been driven by fashion as an art and felt from a very young age that that is my calling.
What is your education background?
After finishing high school in Caracas, I moved to the US to get a degree in Fashion Design, I fell in love with swimsuit making there, that was my favorite class!
How did you start surfing, and what do you love about it?
My husband, Oscar, was the one who taught me how to surf! I was 22 years old, and it opened such a beautiful view to life for me! It wasn’t until then that I realized that there is so much more to our existence and our individuality than most of us are brought up to perceive. Few words can describe the feeling.
You're a mom, how do you balance work, surfing, and being a mother?
Well, it’s not an easy juggle, I’m not going to lie. I wish I could say I surf more than I do, and I take a lot of pride in my work, so I do that a lot! Our son loves the beach, and he gets a real kick out of seeing me paddle out and catch a few waves occasionally, while he cheers me on from the sand. I can’t wait until we can all paddle out together!
What inspires you when designing at Seea?
Well, for the record, Amanda does most of the designing, I just help make it happen! However, I will take credit for some of it.
At Seea the biggest thing we try to keep in mind when we design shapes is comfort and functionality. Throughout the process, we often ask ourselves: “Does the world NEED this?” Our very end goal is to create suits that are easy and pleasant to surf in, to MOVE in (without the suit doing too much of the moving)! Of course, there is the timeless-feminine element that makes Seea so special and easy to spot in the lineup, and we all share a deep appreciation for “vintage” or classic silhouettes, as they effortlessly preserve womanly figures without needing to expose too much skin, keeping women safe and secure within their own various shapes. I’m personally inspired by the women that surf in our suits so fearless and elegantly.
Do you have any favorite Seea styles?
Hands down, the Bobby Top and Phoebe Bottom is my favorite Seea bikini set, being the one with the least coverage, but still secure enough to surf in worry-free.
The Brasilia set is my second favorite bikini. The bottoms are great for maybe a day you’re not feeling so revealing and the top is just classic and comfy.
For one pieces, it's the Lido for the win! It feels and looks very feminine and elegant, and comfortable as well.
Sonja Andersen, Production Manager
Where are you from?
Born and raised in California 😊
What is you role at Seea?
Production Manager
Did you like surfing as a kid?
I have always loved the ocean and water but did not start surfing until I was 14 years old (23 years ago..yikes!!).
What were you like as a child?
I was a shy child that was a dreamer. I would always imagine things – like new ideas and concepts (including creating new clothes for myself or imagining that I was a mermaid when in the water).
How did you start working at Seea?
I started working at Seea because I was looking for a new job, and a close friend who knew Amanda shared with me that Seea needed someone for production. I thought I would give it a try, and after meeting with Amanda and getting the job, I am stoked to work with her and the company.
What's your educational background?
To make a long story short, I have always been interested in developing new things (mainly things I could wear, including surf related things such as wetsuits). In my youth, I hated the way female wetsuits looked (as they all looked the same and so stereotypical), so I would alter my little brothers’ wetsuits to my liking.
In high school, I started to go to after school college classes to learn garment construction and sewing, and even worked at an alteration shop just to gain knowledge. After taking a year off after High School ,with community college classes on the side, I surfed every day. My father told me that that (surfing) was the only time in my life I could most likely do so. Then, I was fortunate enough to go to a specialized school for exactly what I am doing today. Going to a fashion school made me realize how much I was meant to be in that world, as I felt right at home with the programs and the other students there. Although, I must admit, any surfer deep down inside feels they are always meant to be at the beach.
How did you start surfing?
I started surfing for 2 main reasons:
1) Because I love the ocean and being in the water
2) Because I wanted to feel closer to my father ...My little brother showed me the stoke my father had, when taking him surfing as a little grom.
Once I started surfing, I was hooked. From my first day, until now, I realized how much surfing has made a positive impact on my life. Surfing has gotten me through being a depressed teen, through stress, and anything negative that has come my way. Surfing has always been there for me. I feel like only me and the ocean exist when I’m out there, and I’m so grateful for that.
What is your favorite thing about working at Seea?
The females that work there. I have been working since I was 14, and I have never encountered so many amazing women. Everyone is so hardworking and just rad individuals.
How does sustainability play a role in the choices you make at Seea?
Understanding how terrible the fashion industry is for the environment, was an eye-opening gift that working for Seea has given me. I like to think that all my choices at Seea are based around sustainability - from the materials we use to the decisions we make daily, to being less wasteful on both micro and macro levels.
What are your favorite Seea styles?
The Bobby top and Phoebe bottoms is my favorite pair because I love the fit of both styles. This pair allows you to get a tan with the fit being secure enough to handle body surfing tumbling and surfing (worry free of the ocean exposing you).
Seea’s longboard slips are a game changer. They are so easy to slip on your board easily, and will protect your car from wax, and are always available in the cutest prints. Plus they are a cost effective option for a board cover.
Thank you to Sabina and Sonja for all the wonderful work that they do! It is so important to celebrate your team members. We are so incredibly thankful for them and all the love and care the put into everything that they do!
