This Women We Love feels extra special… I’m so excited to feature my sister, Julie, not only for the amazing business she has built with her shoppe Julie’s Beach Life, but for her personal grit and bravery. If you know her, you love her. And if you haven’t met yet, I hope you get to… she’s one-in-a-million, a shining star.

My big sister- full of life, love, and light; beauty follows her wherever she goes. It only seemed fitting to honor her after our give back series to Curebound since she had her 1 year remission anniversary from cervical cancer this past May. She is a survivor, warrior, and inspiration to me.

Thanks for following along on this “Women We Love” series and for reading my sister’s inspirational story.

I love you so much, Juju.

Julie grew up in the San Fernando Valley, eventually splitting time between LA and San Clemente. Torn between the drive of the city and the laid-back charm of the beach, she found her style somewhere in the middle, drawn to brands like Malia Mills, Shosanna, Custo Barcelona, and Betsey Johnson in those early years. That fusion would come to define her career, carving out a unique space for her in the beachwear scene. Her bold, fashion-forward edge landed her opportunities like private styling for Bay Watch which filmed scenes in Del Mar.

Julie says she always had a calling for retail. She played shoppe in her room with a chest of toys as her inventory and her mom’s old credit cards as payments from her imaginary customers. When thinking about school and her future, she recalls wanting to learn all the ins and outs of buying and merchandising with the dream to open her own store one day.

Her dream became a reality when she opened her first shoppe in San Clemente, Julie’s Beachwear, before opening her iconic store in Del Mar “Julie’s Beach Life” 31 years ago. Now a local Del Mar staple, you are greeted with Julie’s curation of resort wear, walls of swim lines, loungewear, homeware, selfcare, and her newest venture, vintage goods. As she puts it, “I buy for the store what I would buy for myself.” And cannot forget about her adorable puppies, Teddy and Stella, the shoppe’s greeters.

Julie’s passion is not only apparent in the lines she curates for her store, but in the joyful, welcoming energy she brings. She has a knack for making shopping personal (even hilarious) especially in shopping for more personal things like a swimsuit. Some of her favorite moments? When customers recognize her out in public but can’t quite place her. She laughs, “Are you kidding? I’ve seen you naked!”

She’s had countless “magical” encounters with customers, “I have a new story every day,” she beams. But some of the most memorable are helping women feel confident again in a swimsuit. Maybe they’ve lost weight and want to try on a suit for the first time. Or maybe they’ve had a baby and are looking for something a little different in this new season of life. She’s even hand-sewn pads into a bikini for a woman who had undergone a double mastectomy, an experience she was honored to have especially after her own cancer journey.

Julie was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer in May of 2023. While it’s not a club anyone signs up to be in, she says it opened her eyes to never take anything for granted.


“When you survive, you wonder ‘why me?’ What’s the lesson here? And all I’ve come to is the cliches: pay attention, treat people well, and enjoy life and the people in it.”


While Julie was in treatment, the Olympics were underway which proved to be a timely source of inspiration. She began to think of herself as an athlete, as if she were training for a gold medal. Her training would be marked by pain, grit, and relentless determination, but just like in sport, there was only one way through: crossing the finish line strong and with her head high. Julie celebrated one year cancer free and with tears in her eyes, you can feel the warmth and gratitude for the life she’s created.


Julie and her wife, Yosel. The two met playing racket ball and the rest was history!