STYLE: Where Surf Meets Rap

In the hip-hop scene, where designer names often grow to billboard proportions, the tag of the moment is Stussy. Designer Shawn Stussy, 36, of Laguna Beach, Calif., has made a splash with surf-meets-rap sportswear. Stussy and partner Frank Sinatra Jr. (no relation to you-know-who) say revenues hit $17 million last year in stores from Los Angeles to Manhattan. Stussy, a former surfboard maker, started his business in 1982 by transferring surfboard graphics to T shirts and shorts.

Stussy's twist can mean embroidered Masai warrior shields in neon colors on a high school letter jacket or baggy jerseys bearing electric-haired African- warrior logos. Stussy has caught on big with musicians ranging from Public Enemy to Madonna. Next he hopes to get a bit more formal. Says his partner: "Shawn has always wanted to be like Armani."