California Dreaming

Brooklyn, New York-based designer Jonathan Cohen’s spring-summer collection is inspired by his La Jolla roots — the Windansea Beach made famous in Tom Wolfe’s “The Pump House Gang,” an essay about a group of surfers who hung out on this storied stretch of sand. The 28-year-old Cohen, who attended La Jolla High, returned home recently to photograph the beach culture that would inspire the bright colors and prints of his latest collection. Cohen, born and raised in La Jolla, left when he was 19 to study at the Parsons New School of Design. After apprenticing at Doo-Ri Chung, Ashleigh Verrier, and Oscar de la Renta, he founded his brand in 2011 with business partner Sarah Leff. Inspired by architecture, music, and world cultures, Cohen’s designs are described as “a unique mix of coastal ease and big city cool blended with a modern and vibrant edge” that appeal to women from chic urbanites to California girls. You can find his designs at Lissilaa Boutique in La Jolla, A’maree’s in Newport Beach, and Maxfield in LA and Malibu. (646.370.3860, www.jonathancohenstudio.com)   ANDREA NAVERSEN