The modern swim shorts are well-cut, feature contemporary prints and are versatile, taking you from the beach to the bar to a street party. Thorsun, a swimwear line founded by George Sotelo, ticks all those boxes and its SS16 collection continues with a range of gradient, geometric and ethnic prints, inspired by Mesoamerican and other art movements.

Based in New York, the fabrics are sourced from France and production happens in New York’s Garment District which allows the brand to oversee the quality and finishes of the shorts. The fit of the shorts is flattering on a wide range of body types

Each pair of shorts feature five pockets: deep pockets with a coin pocket, a zippered back pocket and an internal security pocket for cash and credit cards. Thorsun’s shorts were developed with a young Australian tailor and avid surfer and the final product has a casual and easy sensibility while maintaining a bespoke tailor’s attention to detail.

Sotelo’s own experience of looking for the perfect shorts that are versatile for the modern, discerning and travelling man led to Thorsun. I chatted with the brand to find out about the SS16 inspiration and where they see themselves in 5 years.

– Where did the name Thorsun come from?

The name Thorsun represents summer thunderstorms. “Thor,” the former part of the name, was a marvel comic book hero and also a menacing God of weather patterns. I’ve always been fascinated by the strength and power of summer thunderstorms.

– What is the inspiration for the SS16 collection?

I wanted to continue other Mesoamerican revival print patterns from my first season but wanted to include other art movements that I’ve always been interested in like Bauhaus and Modernism. The final result is modern-pueblo.

– Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

We’re launching women’s for the Spring 16 season, which we’re very excited about. We definitely want to continue adding other categories to our men’s and women’s lines, including sunglasses, bags and RTW.

– What makes Thorsun swim shorts different?

What makes Thorsun different from the other men’s brands is that it’s truly a functional fashion short. Everything is designed with practicality in mind, especially the pockets, which are designed to prevent items from falling out, and a hidden security pocket – all without creating added bulk and keeping a streamlined silhouette.

– The prints have a very artisanal, almost ethnic vibe which can border on bohemian. How do you modernise and make them contemporary?

We made it a point to design prints that covered a range of guys. We have smaller prints for the more conservative guy and bolder prints for the more fashion forward customer. It’s a very personal thing, and at the end of the day the customer is going to choose what they like but I made it a point to design the prints with everybody in mind.