Okanui

Founder Dick Ash was the tender age of 15 when he was inspired to create his first pair of cotton board shorts using his Mum’s sewing machine and some old canvas mailbags from the Avalon post office. The shorts were cut long, especially suited for sitting on the new-style Okanui surfboards that had exploded on to the Aussie surf scene in 1956.

Before long, he was making the shorts for all his surfing mates. He nicknamed them Okanuis, and a true Australian surf icon was born! In 1978, Dick decided to take his shorts to the masses. Not content with plain canvas, he designed the distinctive hibiscus print that remains the signature of the Okanui clothing brand, typifying the timeless and tropical spirit of days at the beach.

Over 40 years later, Okanui remains a family business with their core focus on producing comfortable and fun clothing. At the beach or on the boat, your Okanui heritage garment is designed to improve with wear to become a faithful favourite, helping you escape your everyday.