Carla studied fashion design in Durban, South Africa, and went on to graduate from St. Martin's School of Art in London. She is the design energy behind Solitude, and draws her creativity from modern life, travel, elements of nature and the moods of the ocean. She lives the California lifestyle with her husband, Shaun, and their son, Mathew, and incorporates the essence of their existence into her creativity. She believes that balance is important to one's well-being, and the Solitude logo is a powerful symbol of this philosophy.

Shaun was born in Durban, South Africa, in 1955. "Surfing gripped me hard and fast from the start, passionately and obsessively, from the first moment I stood up on my little red board in the Indian Ocean. That feeling of excitement, of standing up high and rushing across a wave and looking out on the world, has kept me paddling back out, year after year, decade after decade."

Shaun went on to become one of the world's greatest surfers, winning events all over the world from Hawaii to Japan. His professional career peaked when he won the World Pro title, surfing's highest honor. But competition and winning were never his primary reasons for surfing; the feeling of exhilaration and escape is what surfing is all about to Shaun.

Shaun and Carla started Solitude a number of years ago in the picturesque town of Santa Barbara. "Solitude clothing is for people just like us, who love to escape the pressures of life by going surfing or just walking on the beach and dreaming about traveling over the blue horizon."

These days when Shaun is not at Solitude, he is catching some waves at the beach, two blocks away from the design studio. Recently inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame, Shaun currently resides in Santa Barbara with Carla and Mathew. He still travels the world in search of the perfect wave.