Whenever I talk about Holie B one of the most common questions is: “why the name? What does it mean?”
A lot of people think it’s a world play on the words “holy” (sacred) and “be”, the truth is it doesn’t have much to do with this. Holie B to me goes beyond a nam, it’s a lifestyle, a way of life, an adventure you will remember for the rest of your days. Here is the story behind Holie B:
I was surfing with my boyfriend in Puerto Vallarta and on our way we saw a couple of foreigners with longboards getting on a bus. Once we got to the beach, we saw them again. The girl asked if she could borrow a leash for her surfboard, and she introduced herself as Holly B, and him as Brody.
We surfed together for hours and Holly and Brody invited us back to dinner at their house and the night turned into a wonderful party, an all-around great day!
Holly told us about their journey to Mexico; a bus adventure from Haliburton to Puerto Vallarta. It took her three days to get here.
Her personality, vibe and smile had a very positive impact in me. She was the kind of woman I wanted to chill and surf with for weeks on end. She’s the kind of person that makes your day a Little brighter.
All the words I’ve tried to found to describe my brand are linked to freedom, good vibes, adventure, courage, beauty, friendship; everything Holly inspired in me. I decided to honor that memory and the fact that after only one day with her, she had planted all these positive seeds in me.
Holly and I hadn’t seen each other again since that day. We exchanged e-mails and I tried to contact her several times, but the e-mails always came back. Seven years later with the invention of Facebook and my brand growing, I decided to look for her again. I must’ve added around 10 Holly ‘s to my friend list until I finally found her.
When I finally reached her, I said:
“Did we meet in Puerto Vallarta? I met a girl named Holly and a guy named Brody in Punta Burros. I was surfing with my boyfriend (now husband and father of two beautiful girls). We had an amazing time, if you’re that Holly please contact me as I have a great story to tell you”
“Yes, it’s me! How are you?”
“I can’t believe it! Are you ready? (…)”
And I went on to tell her the story of my swimsuit brand; how she inspired the name and the memory I had of her. A month after I met Holly she met her husband in Sayulita, they got married by the ocean, had 3 beautiful girls and decided t olive in a van. They constantly travel from Canada to Mexico. He is a surf instructor and she’s a jewelry designer. Without a doubt she continues to inspire me every day.
Thank you Holly for being incredible and raising women like you.
If you want to be inspired too, follow her on instagram as @gypseas_lifestyle
Follow our adventures in surf and sea!