Meet the Brand

Our Mission

To empower mind, body and soul through grass roots craftsmanship with a global perspective. To help where we can and deliver the adventure of life. And to rejuvenate the essence of all beings.

Ethics.

Perhaps the most important aspect of our processes comes from a place of compassion and love for the world and everyone in it. As a reprieve from fast fashion and mass production, two of the most devastating and destructive business practices in our current global way of life, we concentrate on smaller batches and only do business with vendors that carry the same mindset. Our tee shirts are made in the garment district of Manhattan by a union driven company that stands on anti “sweat shop” practices and handles high end, sustainable fabrics. Not only are they beautifully made, but we can feel good about the fact that they are being handled with the earth and our clients discerning taste and moral standards in mind. They are then printed through earth friendly sublimation by our team by hand, right here at home in Louisville, Kentucky, not only assuring ethics, but also making every single piece slightly unique, and the hem tags are hand sewn by a small business within walking distance from our studio. Our swimwear shares those same high standards. Stardust swimwear collaborates our designs with their luxurious sustainable fabrics. They are beautifully and durably handmade to order in North Carolina with exquisite attention to detail and perfect sizing every time. Our sunglasses, though made throughout the world, are supplied by a vendor who’s main goal is to find global solutions and sourcing practices to ensure employees who make the product are treated and compensated with respect and dignity, regardless of location. The rest of our products and additions to come will all carry these business practices so you, our patrons, can shop knowing you are doing right by your own standards every time. As artists with our own stories and followings, we pledge to use our platform to spread awareness of the importance of these practices in our industry and every aspect of our lives.

-Colin

Sustainability.

When I was very young, my father rented a tiny patch of land at his best friend’s farmhouse on the outskirts of town. Everyone being very poor at that time, this was a way for his friend, who was an amazing artist and one that has inspired my entire life, to make ends meet, and for our family, it was a way to connect with the beautiful Kentucky dirt and grow food to help us sustain. To me, it was a magical place. The smell of honeysuckle, the taste of fresh blackberries off the bush, despite the stains and scratches, those Saturday mornings, though a short lived time of my life, were some of the best of my youth, and a reprieve from the darkness, that I’ve always carried with me. Years later, I became a fine dining farm to table chef, and I applied those memories into business practices and a way of living that has made its way to Hostel. The ocean. Since the first time I laid eyes on the beautiful murky waters of the east coast, I have felt a pull and a magnetic draw to the sea. A love as deep as any I’ve experienced. The mystery. The absolute grounding effect it has on my soul. Energy so strong I feel it even when hundreds of miles away. I am as protective of her as I am that beautiful land in Kentucky. And through global travel, that reverence carries through. While nothing is ever perfect, our fabrics, materials, packaging and supplies are as close to 100% earth friendly and sustainable as we can manage. It’s not just a great business model, it’s a way for us to show respect for the things most valuable to us. Our global resources and our planet. For ourselves, our kids and our clients.

- Colin

chaos.

Like almost everything in our lives, my business partner and friend, Isabella and I have started this company with nothing but my art, our individual stories and life experiences, a beautiful idea and an insatiable desire to share our passions while building something important. Though we have led very different lives, there are clear parallels that have led us to this point. My story starts in a dark place. A childhood abundant in violence and hate, sprinkled with bright and beautiful moments. Cold and vibrant contrasts. I left home young and lived a life of total debauchery and self destruction for several years, homeless, addicted to drugs and alcohol, hitchhiking and hopping freight trains all over the country in search of the next twisted adventure. Years later I found sobriety, followed by a hard but beautiful mental health journey that I am still on today. Through those things I have gained a clarity I never knew possible, warmth, love and compassion that I rarely felt before and an excitement to share the stories of life through art and fashion in hopes of inspiring others to follow the light.

-Colin

If I had to choose one word to describe myself, I couldn’t. In the same way if I had to choose one “path”, I’d be leading myself wrong. In life I’ve been blessed to learn how to pivot when my soul calls for it and to take each new journey with the same enthusiasm as the last. Being raised in a culture filled with joy, dance, and gratitude yet, being born in a place where more people could use that in their lives has truly shaped the way I choose to show up in all things. Cultivating spaces where these values are present has always been a part of me, influencing me to leave a positive impact wherever I am in the world. I am a multifaceted artist, beginning with my love for music, dance, and self-expression. Through training my voice to amplify messages that were already written I found love for sharing my story with authenticity and ambition which has led me to a special path of entrepreneurship. My role in Hostel is more behind-the-scenes, and that comes with it’s own challenges, but with an end goal to inspire authenticity and freedom in others I’m proud to be a Co-founder of Hostel Surf Shop and share our message with the world. Hostel is a call for change and my hope is to move your soul as much as mine has been moved throughout this journey we call life.

-Isabella De La Torre Gonzalez (Cofounder/COO)

Stephanie has been one of my closest friends and a constant in life for many years. Watching her pull herself out of the ashes over and over again, kicking whatever life has thrown at her to the curb and watching her parent have all been huge inspirations to me and created a pretty amazing bond. She is an amazing human that I look up to in a pretty big way. We have traveled the world together, made amazing art and have been in each other’s corner for business, life and family alike. A few years ago, with the help of a group of amazing creatives, we published a magazine that we are revisiting, rebranding and renewing for Hostel and I couldn’t be more excited about having her on the team. This is her Bio; Stephanie Chaney is a lifelong beach lover who brings her passion for coastal culture to the surf shop and magazine. Although she doesn’t surf, she’s deeply inspired by the ocean and Hostel’s strong stance towards sustainability and ethics. She earned her nursing degree in 2003 and remains committed to holistic & naturopathic care while managing her own multiple sclerosis diagnosis for two decades. Alongside her healthcare background, she has worked as a model since 2003, bringing creativity and professionalism to every project. Stephanie blends compassion, aesthetics, and environmental values into Hostel’s mission of a better world for her children and grandchildren.

I have led an interesting life. Through a dark childhood to a crazed youth of rebellion, excessive drug and alcohol abuse, a life lived on the road, homeless, hitchhiking and hopping freight trains from one coast to the other, another life in the fine dining farm to table world from dishwasher to executive chef, to automotive restoration and repair, to the arts which I love so deeply and another, more personal existence as a very proud father and a sober human. I have had so many crazy adventures and met some of the most amazing individuals in all of those life paths that inspire my art and energy, and have, through recovery and mental health work for AuDHD, found my true calling as one of storytelling, supporting and sharing. Talking about it all and creating in a way to hopefully help someone see some light. Reliving my chaos to give hope. To myself and those around me. Teaching and learning simultaneously. I am an internationally published photographer, inspired by my late godfather, famous Kentucky photographer James Archambeault who was known for his “Kentucky” series especially in the late 70’s-90’s, a lifecast sculptor, underwater model photographer, writer, traveler, occasional photography and fine art figure model and designer. I have immersed myself in the arts as I have submerged myself in the ocean, and found intense therapeutic experiences through both. Life is one hell of a ride… stay wild.

-Colin Simmons (Cofounder/Creative Director)

Miami 25' Models

Karah has been my best friend for over 10 years now and my advisor on everything in life. From a barefoot Kentucky girl from the holler to a fine artist, model and business owner on the beautiful Caribbean island of Antigua, she has faced and conquered more than most of us could ever imagine, and manifested a beautiful life floating at sea. I could not be more proud. She has been my confidant and advised me at all hours of the night throughout this whole journey. She will be creating and handling international connections, communications and sales for Hostel. Couldn’t be in better hands.