The Bottom Line

Kauai

 

Photo courtesy of San Lorenzo Kauai

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN an environmental science major from the University of Hawaii teams up with a business major from Hawaii Pacific University? They move to Kauai and start selling organic bikinis. At least, that’s what entrepreneurs Jhonatan Figueroa and Megan Spurlock did after graduating last year from HPU and UH, respectively.

San Lorenzo Kauai – which opened last September in a 750-square-foot space in the Harbor Mall in Lihue – sells bikinis made from 5 percent spandex and 95 percent organic, pesticide-free cotton. The raw materials come from Brazil, and the bikinis are hand-painted and embroidered by Figueroa’s mother in Lima, Peru. His sister also runs three San Lorenzo stores on Oahu.

“We’re different from the other locations because we focus on being ecofriendly,” says Spurlock, adding that there is definitely a market for organic bikinis among local, female surfers. “People are more educated about global warming. Customers are concerned about how products are made and want to help reduce their ecological footprint on the Earth.”

What customers like, too, is that they are not tied down to one style. San Lorenzo’s bikini tops and bottoms can be mixed and matched, or customized, she says. Prices range from $60 to $80. The two most popular looks are the “belt,” which stays put while surfing, and the “garter,” a comfortable cut that does not bunch on the side. The 2008 collection includes colorful Caribbean-inspired bikinis and an organic line called “Back to the Earth.”

It’s too early to gauge annual sales. “We’re still getting a feel for what people want,” Spurlock says. San Lorenzo’s customers range from older cruise ship visitors to local shoppers between the ages of 15 and 28.

More than 80 percent of customers learn about the store via MySpace. “We’ve had radio ads. We’ve advertised on Craigslist,” Spurlock says. “But MySpace has worked amazingly well.”

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