Clear skies. Temps in the high 90s. A breeze along the coast. Bathing suit season is in the air. The question is: Are you ready to join the crowd of summer shoppers perusing racks of colorful nylon suits, searching for the perfect pattern, size and style? Not to mention trying on your suit of choice in front of life’s unforgiving critic, the dressing room mirror. Canyon Beachwear owner Kathleen Mudd says there is a lot more involved in running a swimwear business than stocking and selling suits. ‘We have to overcome all the psychological aspects of buying a bathing suit,’ says Mudd, who purchased the original Canyon Beachwear store on Entrada in 1988. ‘A well-trained staff is important’the customer should get something that looks good after trying on four to five suits.’ Mudd certainly knows the business. She started working at Canyon in 1979, when she was only 14, and worked there through high school on the weekends and during summers. Then a Brentwood resident, Mudd attended Marymount. She met her husband, William, at the University of San Diego, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English (1987) and he earned a bachelor’s in business administration (1985). While in college, Mudd managed a San Diego swimwear store but continued to work at Canyon during the summers. The Mudds married in May 1988, and by October they had purchased the small, 400-sq.-ft. Canyon Beachwear space (across from Will Rogers State Beach) from Palisadian Susan Thomas and her daughter, Amy. In 16 years, the Mudds have opened 10 other Canyon swimsuit stores, the first one in 1989 in Pasadena because ‘we had a lot of customers who lived in that area,’ Mudd says. ‘Old Town grew up around us.’ Other Southern California locations include the Westside Pavilion, Studio City, and the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks. ‘We see generations of people who grew up in Palisades, moved away and have come back here [to buy suits],’ says Mudd, whose son, Liam, is 3. The Mudds live in Malibu and are expecting a second child in three months. While the popularity of Web-based discount retailers has made the swimwear market extremely competitive in recent years, Mudd says, ‘If somebody wants a designer swimsuit, is hard to fit or wants good customer service, they come to Canyon. We carry higher-end, more European-style suits and we have selection’you’re not going to see yourself walking up and down the beach.’ Refering to an analogy she heard, Mudd compares buying a swimsuit at Canyon to buying flowers at a florist, as opposed to a supermarket. ‘What we have is special, unique.’ The owners have also worked hard to maintain their business. ‘Everything we had we put back into the stores,’ says Mudd, who admits that one of their secrets is ‘working long hours together, being each other’s partner in marriage and business.’ While the Entrada store is the smallest, Mudd says, ‘there’s no room to expand, but the space is irrelevant because it’s a seasonal business and what’s important is customer service.’ The three buying seasons bring different collections, for the November/December cruise season, the February /March spring season and the June summer season. ‘Spring break is usually when business starts to pick up,’ says Mudd, who does the buying and merchandising while William handles the financial end of the business. Named the ‘Best Bikini Store in L.A.’ by Los Angeles magazine, Mudd says another reason they’ve remained successful is because ‘we’ve stayed focused on swimwear.’ Canyon carries 100 different brands with sizes ranging from 2 to 24 and a lot of separates, including D- and DD-size tops. However, Mudd does not see Canyon as ‘a ‘bikini’ store,’ because it caters to ‘the contemporary market instead of the junior market.’ The clientele is mainly women age 16 to 50, and suit prices range from $62 to $250, with an average price of $98 to $120. ‘Like all businesses, we were affected by the economy after September 11,’ says Mudd, who had to close one store in New York. ‘Even though Canyon is the more luxury end of the economy, people weren’t going on vacation as much. We also cut back store hours and we didn’t stay open seven days of the week.’ They currently have a store in Boston on Newbury St. and one on Third Avenue in New York City, in addition to three stores in northern California. Current swimwear trends include mix-matched polka dot- and stripe-patterned suits, often with floral designs. Reversible suits, halter tops and hipster bottoms are also in. Pink and orange are the hot colors this season. ‘There’s a lot of color out there,’ says Mudd, whose staff works with several celebrity stylists. They welcome private appointments if customers cannot come during store hours, and on occasion send suits to customers on vacation. Canyon also carries a limited selection of basic swim trunks for men, as well as sarongs, shirt throw-overs, sandals and straw bags. Located at 106 Entrada, between Marix Tex-Mex Restaurant and Patrick’s Roadhouse, Canyon Beachwear has the following store hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is located behind the store. Contact: 459-5070.
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