Meet Hayley O’Connor: Artist of The Search

Get to know the creative force behind Hotel Malibu.

We’ve teamed up with talented Australian designer and illustrator Hayley O’Connor to launch her first collaborative collection with Rip Curl. Inspired by iconic lifeguard towers and a nostalgic pastel colour palette, it’s a love letter to golden summer beach days. Known for her vintage-inspired illustrations and sun-soaked aesthetic, Hayley brings a fresh creative perspective to this signature collection.

Getting to Know Hayley 

Rip Curl: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey. 
Hayley: I’m an illustrator and designer originally from Melbourne. I moved to the Gold Coast in my mid-twenties, and that move completely shifted my creative world. The colour, the warmth, and the coastal energy up here changed the way I draw and the projects I was drawn to. I’ve now spent years creating hand drawn, nostalgic illustrations for apparel and brands. I love pieces that feel like they could’ve been collected on a trip or found in a vintage shop, and this collaboration with Rip Curl has been such a special way to bring that style to life.

This is your first collection with Rip Curl, what is your connection to surf and the surf lifestyle? 
I’ve loved surf culture since I was a kid. Growing up in Melbourne we would go down the coast in summer, my favourite thing was visiting the local surf store ... the smell of neoprene and surf wax, the bright boards lined up, and the excitement of seeing the newest graphics from my favourite surf brands. That’s honestly where my love for apparel graphics began.

I started surfing when I was 16 and always kept it in my life, but it became a much bigger part of my world when I moved to the Gold Coast at 25. Before stepping fully into illustration, I also worked as a graphic designer for surf brands, so this industry has shaped me creatively from the very beginning. It really is part of my DNA...the colour, the art, the energy, the lifestyle. So, collaborating with Rip Curl feels like a real full-circle moment.

What was the inspiration behind this collection? How did the concept first come to life? 
My work has always been shaped by travel, so when Rip Curl mentioned they wanted a California surf vibe for our artist collaboration, my mind went straight back to a trip to Malibu. I pulled inspo from old surfboard art, sun bleached signs and a camera roll full of that trip.

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How does your personal style show up in this collection?
I love leaning into the imperfections... the textures, the organic lines, and the feeling that the artwork could have been drawn in another era. My style is a mix of detailed and naïve: expressive characters, dreamy locations, old typography, and little elements that feel playful and unpolished in the best way.

What inspires you in your art and your own brand Sea Street? 
Sea Street has always been built around three things: art, travel, and nostalgia. I’m inspired by places I’ve visited, old photos, retro signage, tropical colours, and the energy of the coast. A lot of my ideas come from tiny moments, something on a postcard, a pattern on an old shirt, a colour I see on a building. I love mixing those references into something new but still familiar, and I brought the same approach to this collaboration.

Do you have a favourite piece from the collection? 
The Hotel Malibu Bikini. 

How do you want people to feel when they wear this collection? 
I want people to feel like they’ve found something unique. Almost like discovering a special piece in a vintage shop. Each graphic is hand-drawn, so my hope is that it feels less like just another tee or bikini and more like owning a little piece of art.

Explore the Hotel Malibu collection, designed by Hayley O’Connor now.