With beachfront houses, bath tubs overflowing with beer, old-school cruiser bikes, late night skinny dips, spring breaks in Mexico and hot Californian surfer boys, Del Playa Drive sounds like more of a lifestyle than a street. Meaning ‘the ocean’ in Spanish, Del Playa Drive is a one-mile strip in Santa Barbara and the inspiration behind hot new label, Del Playa Drive.

Now, if I spent my college years living on a notorious party street, I’m pretty sure the only thing I would come away with would be four years worth of hangovers and a vague recollection of what summer looked like. But not Teena Zerefos. In between studying film at the University of California and living on the infamous strip, Teena was sketching outfits to wear to Coachella and painting motifs that would one day adorn her designs. Now based back in Sydney, Teena is giving us a taste of Californian-surfer-girl with her collection of lightweight sun dresses, organic cotton singlets and super comfy denim cut-offs.

This is beach and festival wear at its best. And I’m speaking from personal experience. I’ve been rocking the colourful tie-dye Carmen Caftan from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection over a black bikini down at Bondi and have been stopped numerous times by girls wanting to know where it’s from. It’s by Del Playa Drive, a name you won’t be forgetting any time soon.

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When Brazilian swimwear label Água de Coco hit the runway for São Paulo Fashion Week in June, one thing was clear: if Brazil were a man, he’d be a butt guy. Each piece of the collection looked like it had been crafted for the sole purpose of showing off the female form from behind. Bronzed bodies turned at the end of the catwalk to reveal a striking array of back adorning drapes, braids, folds and cutouts.

Don’t even think about throwing one on under any old thing. These swimsuits move with the jet-set crowd. And for Sydney girls, that means avoiding the Bondi look. Because tattered yellow hair extensions, cut-off denim underpants and orange spray tans have no business mixing with the luxe fabrics and chic designs of Água de Coco.

When I first moved to New York in 2006, I lived in a shared loft space in Williamsburg with four others. It was quite an introduction to inner-city living, especially given that I’d literally shifted across from the beaches and sunshine of Bondi, Sydney. As such, it was a dizzying period, full of discovery. Rufus Wainwright’s epic, broodingly lush album Want Two was the soundtrack to it all. I had it on my iTunes collection at the time, without even knowing it, until it magically burst into my headphones one day whilst tapping away frenetically on my laptop. Oh man! What an album, what a voice, and what a beautifully composed and arranged selection of songs, a favorite amongst them being the rolling piano ballad, This Love Affair.

When you wake up on a Sunday morning with a slightly hazy head and a rumbling tummy, what do you need? A damn good brunch! And where can you find one? Well, if you happen to live around Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, I suggest you head straight to Ruby’s Diner, on Bronte Road in Waverley. Ruby’s is owned by a cool dude named Ed, who gained local notoriety at Jed’s Cafe in Bondi.

Despite never failing to serve up great tucker and coffee, the prices at this trendy little diner are as down to earth as the decor.

There’s no skimping on quality, and they’re committed to supporting local suppliers, and buying only the finest produce. This includes bread from Iggy’s in Bronte, and coffee from Single Origin in Surry Hills.

Though Ruby’s has recently opened for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, I tend to keep my visits to brunch-time – when I can kick back in the fresh air with the papers and a latte. My personal favourites are the poached eggs with baked ricotta, mushrooms and rocket, the porridge with rhubarb, honeyed pears and pistachio crumble, and (what has to be) Sydney’s very best croque monsieur.