Everything to the south of Carmel has always held an intoxicating intrigue over me from the time I was a child and became aware of its existence. I used to climb a tall tree in my childhood home and look to the ridgeline above the Carmel Highlands at what I was convinced were the turrets of a castle full of kings, queens, and knights. It's one of my earliest memories.
I convinced my parents of this kingdom, and one day off we went to find it. And we did, however what I thought was a castle, turned out to be a beautiful redwood grove silhouetted by the southern horizon. It was on that trip and on that ridge that I got my first look at what existed behind that ridge. And it was at that moment I fell in love with the Big Sur coast and the Ventana Wilderness.
Over the years, countless days were spent in her canyons looking for swimming holes, on her mountaintops looking for sun above the fog line, and at her shores looking for surf. Every hour of every day of every time of year she looks different. She has no bad angles. She is captivating and diverse. Her mountains plunge into the sea so dramatically that the roads seem to be hanging off of them by a fingernail.
The first Spanish mariner who witnessed the area in 1542 wrote in his journal, “MOUNTAINS WHICH SEEM TO REACH THE HEAVENS, AND THE SEA BELTS ON THEM; SAILING CLOSE TO LAND, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THEY WOULD FALL ON THE SHIPS.” Two centuries passed before a party was led to try and colonize the region, but it was concluded that the area was impassable. To this day it is not uncommon for roads to wash out or get buried in mudslides, stranding the residents and preventing travel on HWY 1. Often to the delight of the locals who get her all to themselves once again.
VNTNA is named for this rugged & weather-beaten stretch of wilderness on California's Central Coast. The full Spanish word 'Ventana' translates to 'window' for the legend that Doublcone Peak was once a natural arch towering over her mountains and framing the view looking to the south coast and the Pacific Ocean.
There’s a romantic relationship where the mountains meet the sea; a relationship that runs deep in our narrative.
My journey in brand building and apparel led me away from the Central Coast, but I always yearned to come home. It was through those pursuits that this brand came to be, and VNTNA's mission is to make innovative products for hardy members of this community, and the lives they lead. We are committed to honoring the wilderness, the people, and the lifestyle of this place through VNTNA.
I hope to make this community proud, and I hope this community will champion our efforts!
Love & Respect
Kevin Dorey