Why Catfish?
THE TEAM
Real people. Real service.
The irony of our name is not lost on us. But rest assured - we've been around since before the word "Catfish" was used in dating, and the same people who design your gear are the ones who pick up the phone. We've been in the custom space for 40 years, and we still do it the way we always have: locally, carefully, and with people you can actually talk to.
We make custom, easy.
So, you've found yourself in charge of sorting out gear for your crew, hey? We know how stressful that can be. That's why our focus is on making the journey simple and stress-free, while delivering gear you & your crew will love.
We find what fits your needs
Some teams want the absolute best, and we live for that. Others just need something solid that does the job without the price tag. Both are great with us. Tell us what you're after and we'll find the right fit for you.
We design with you, not just for you.
Got a rough idea on a napkin? Bring it in. We work alongside you to turn it into gear your team is proud to pull on, and we keep tweaking until it's right.
Where We've Come From
It all started in the mid to late 80s when Prue, our founder, was a professional surfer. There was little on offer in the way of swimwear to surf in, the options being a crochet bikini or a plain black one piece.
Fresh out of her studies majoring in textiles and pattern making, Prue got to work to make swimwear she wanted to surf in.
It was a busy decade for Prue who had a new 'why'. With 4 kids in tow, she had a new reason to jump back on the sewing machine.
The family was the best dressed in town and she had a little kids' label, KC's, where friends and family would come over to choose fabrics and patterns for Prue to whip up new outfits for the local Northern Beaches kids.
Sticking with her roots, she was also making custom swimwear by Party Plan, yep like Tupperware. Get your friends around, try on some styles, pick a fabric and Prue would custom make you a swimsuit. The sewing 'room' in her garage was a hot spot for young families.
A move from KC's to Catfish Designs and the garage was getting busy with the one woman show on the sewing machine, sourcing fabric, getting new business and managing all the existing customers.
With her oldest, Lana, swimming competitively and all the kids in Surf Life Saving Nippers, Prue was busy making swimwear again. All kids on the local beach were buying their swimmers from Prue so it wasn't long before Mona Vale Surf Club asked for the club's swimmers to be made by Catfish.
Business was booming for this little home sewing business being run out of the garage. The family soon tired of hearing the sewing machine still running at 2am and Prue was convinced to think bigger.
So she bought a warehouse and office space, hired a staff member and went looking for help sewing. The biggest step was letting go of the sewing, so the search for good help in making the garments was extensive. Quality control was, and still is, everything.
There was a huge boom in Surf Life Saving and Prue was there to help out. With clubs looking for more uniform options and the competition hot for the best uniform at State, we were making boardshorts, tees, hoodies and more.
At this stage there weren't many clubs who weren't wearing Catfish Designs club gear. Moving from swimwear only to apparel was the first step in becoming a full service, one stop shop.
After finishing uni and working in banking, Prue's oldest daughter Lana decides to pack in her corporate career and join the family business. Looking for something with more fulfillment, where she can make a difference, Lana was excited at the boom of e-commerce and working with her family to build something special.
With the business focus on custom teamwear, with a little bit of retail on the side for fun, Lana saw potential. Living in Melbourne at the time, Lana learnt the ropes of the business next to then boyfriend Andy who helped out with graphic design here and there.
After a couple of years in the business and a move to Sydney, Lana convinced Andy to join the business. With his experience as a brand manager for global sports brands, graphic design and photography, his skill set fit the bill for a need in the growing family business.
With Andy's experience, the business pushed into the Activewear, Tri, and corporate space, bringing the signature bright prints to a new arena.
After years of discussing, in 2021, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Lana and Andy bought the business from Prue.
Excited about the next generation, with a great team in place, Prue stayed on to manage the production side of the business but stepped back to enjoy more time travelling and being a grandma.
Lana and Andy had big plans after working in the business for half a decade, taking their combined experience to help bring Catfish into a new era.
From a sewing machine in a Mona Vale garage to a full service custom apparel business, we've spent nearly four decades kitting out surf clubs, sports teams, schools, companies and crews of all kinds across Australia.
Same family. Same Northern Beaches. Same obsession with getting it right. We're proudly Australian owned, locally run, and still making gear we'd happily wear ourselves.
Our Team
The faces behind the gear. A small, tight crew running the whole show, from first sketches through to your kit landing on your doorstep.
Lana
Big ideas, big goals and big dreams; Lana is a force to be reckoned with. Lana has always been passionate about sport, whether that be swimming, running, cycling, or all three at once. She learned the garment trade from the best (Prue) and if we send you an awesome design, chances are she's behind it.
Andy
Always looking for a better way, Andy is the do-er behind the scenes, making the big ideas, dreams and goals come to life. Whether it's through photography, website coding or accounting. In his spare time he is raising a toddler to be the next mountain bike world champion.
Shona
When you give us a call, chances are Shona will answer. She is an expert at understanding you and ensuring you get what you need, when you need it. She is currently raising two of the sportiest kids in Australia, and knows the ins and outs of teams & clubs better than anyone.
Pascalle (Scully)
You've seen Pascalle all over our retail website, she has been working on her modelling career for many years in between doing bits and pieces of other work with us, and playing Water Polo for Australia, or professionally over in Greece. Pascalle is our all rounder, stepping in to help where ever help is needed from design and sales to modelling and order fulfilment.
Ian
Hailing all the way from Laguna Beach, California, Ian is our newest addition to the team. He brings a unique blend of technical skill and artistic vision to the team, and spends as much time pencil pushing in Excel as he does designing in Illustrator. With his trusty sidekick Claude, he handles much of our web development as well.
