Writen by Matt Heidkamp,

Photos by Teo J. Babini

We arrived in LA from the bitter cold of New York City, and headed west to the warm embrace of Santa Monica. Laidback and unaggressive compared to the streets of Manhattan, the sandy beaches of SoCal were a welcome embrace. Something was different about this place. The people were happy and healthy and in no rush. They seemed to take life one step at a time, drinking it in as the warm winds gently blew back the hair of the hippie surf beauties on the boardwalk.

A 1960’s VW bus pulled up to the Bayside Hotel with a mustachioed gent named Bill in the driver’s seat. Our models, Laura and Sasha, were doing their hair and makeup, dancing around carefree in their chic vintage outfits. Their blissful aura radiated as the two walked hand in hand, gazing into the sun and smiling like the barefooted, bell bottomed beauties from the Summer of Love.

The West Coast has an inescapable allure of sun-drenched ambience beaming from every inch of its natural glory. It makes me wish I had passed through here in the 1960’s, in a beat up Volkswagen with Jimi on the radio and nothing but good times on my mind.