Enrique Sanchez-Rivera said he has always been entrepreneurial and always wanted to own his own business. He never thought his business would be a fashion brand though.
He began La Isla 13 years ago, when a trip back to his home country of Colombia revealed his sister, Ana Luisa, was making bikinis and giving them away to her friends. He suggested bringing the bikinis to New York and selling them.
“She was really enjoying the artistic aspect of it,” said Sanchez-Rivera, founder and CEO of the La Isla Brand. “I just figured I’d add the business aspect.”
The business was named La Isla — meaning “the island” in Spanish — because of a childhood dream the Sanchez-Rivera siblings shared: The fantasy of having their own island. When the family vacationed at San Andres in the Caribbean Islands, they would pretend that it was their island. Sanchez-Rivera said this childhood fantasy later translated into the siblings wanting to do something together.
La Isla sells women’s swimsuits, graphic T-shirts and headwear. The brand is also launching a line of men’s board shorts and a men’s line of T-shirts in the spring, Sanchez-Rivera said. The bathing suits are sold in more than 30 states and at least 10 countries.
“Our swimsuits are made with only the best Italian, Spanish and Colombian fabrics, and the majority of them are beautifully hand-embroidered,” Sanchez-Rivera said. “Our tees are made with some amazing vintage-type burnout cotton, which makes them just super soft and comfy.”
Recently, La Isla also became a sponsor of Cal Poly’s Equestrian team.
Sánchez-Rivera said he always had a passion for horses and equestrian sports, so it easily translated into sponsoring the group. La Isla provided the team with the brand’s signature green plaid hats.
“All of their apparel is adorable and very well-made,” business administration junior and an equestrian team president Kailyn Sharp said. “The team saw the hat online and was very excited about the sponsorship.”
The La Isla Brand is also involved with the Surfrider Foundation, Children of the Americas and the Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society charity.
“I support Jean-Michel because I trust his efforts in protecting our beautiful waters,” Sanchez-Rivera said. “He is an outstanding individual who believes that at the core, it is educating children that builds great outstanding individuals, and I agree with him 100 percent.”
Sanchez-Rivera said La Isla dedicates time, money and resources to multiple causes every year, but this year they decided to become directly involved.
So he launched a new program called La Isla 360, where for every La Isla T-shirt sold, the company will give a La Isla 360 shirt to someone in need. The website was launched several weeks ago and has already sold 230 shirts. Sanchez-Rivera said he would personally distribute the first batch of shirts to people in need in Colombia. He said he hopes to be able to continue this program in Colombia and America throughout 2012.
“It is extremely important to me to always put the welfare of those in need as a priority for us and the company,” Sanchez-Rivera said. “With the name 360, I want clients, vendors and partners to know that we are not just another fashion brand, that we are completely aware of our surroundings and care about what is going on around us.”
Joselle-Ariel Swimwear Fashion and Accessories, a swimwear boutique in Morro Bay, is the exclusive seller of the La Isla Brand swimsuits in the San Luis Obispo County. The owner, Ruth Robbins, said the store is set up so each manufacturer is represented individually.
Sanchez-Rivera happened to be visiting Morro Bay when Joselle-Ariel’s window display caught his eye. He talked with Robbins and her partner about swimsuits and her vision for Morro Bay. Eventually, he asked if the boutique would like to carry his line.
“We decided to carry the line not only for the suits, but for who (Sanchez-Rivera) is and what he represents,” Robbins said.
Robbins described the swimsuits as being absolutely beautiful and great quality. She said every suit’s beading and embroidery is hand-done in a way that no two are alike.
Sanchez-Rivera said no matter what his sister created, whether some crazy apparatus or a more efficient toaster, he would have found some way to sell it.
“An innovative appliance would have made us a lot more money,” Sanchez-Rivera said. “But money has just never been a motivator for me, or (Ana Luisa).”
Sanchez-Rivera said he is lucky Ana Luisa decided to make swimsuits and that their “bikini experiment” turned into a company they are proud to be a part of.