Beach Riot founder and designer Nicole Hanriot-Tinkess has always had a love for beachwear and travel. Spending time at the beach has inspired Nicole’s style, whether it’s home in Orange County, or in the turquoise blue waters of Bora Bora. Studying fashion design in college, Nicole had no idea that she would be so drawn to designing swimwear, it happened one day when she was assigned swimwear for a school project. From there, Nicole fell in love with designing colorful and bright swimwear for a girl that was kind of like her. She made quite the name for herself as a former licensee and designer at SoCal lifestyle brand Tavik and soon, it came time for this designer to branch out. When Beach Riot was born, Nicole took bold colors, eye-catching prints and timeless designs, creating Beach Riot and launching the brand in 2012. The name "Beach Riot" emerged from a playful twist on Nicole's surname, Hanriot. Constant mispronunciations led to the perfect name for her new brand.