Gabe Moser, 29, is a Delaware-based entrepreneur and founder of Surf Lotus, an apparel brand based in the Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach area.
“I do the drawing, design, sewing, quality control, production, orders, shipping, marketing and social media. I wear all the hats and have full control of the brand,” Gabe says with a smile.
He won Delaware Today’s 2026 Best of Delaware award for Downstate men’s apparel, which he describes as “streetwear with a surf take.”
Originally from Wilmington, Gabe spent his summers at the Delaware beaches.
“Rehoboth and Dewey are a huge part of my story. My parents met here and my grandparents retired here, so the beach has always felt like home to me.”
“My mom had a dress shop and was an interior designer, so I was always interested in fashion, music and art. But I also grew up skateboarding and skimboarding.”
What better way to combine those passions than with a surf-inspired clothing line?
“I went to Salesianum School in Wilmington, and my senior year, in 2015, is when I created the original concept of the ‘Lotus Lifestyle.’”
After graduating from Kutztown University, where he played ice hockey and studied communication, branding, marketing and digital media, Gabe spent his summers in Dewey.
“I worked at the Lighthouse in Dewey. It was a really cool community, and although I knew I had ‘one more summer’ in Dewey, I also knew I wanted to establish a business and build a life down here,” he says.
Gabe officially launched Surf Lotus in August 2019.
Surf Lotus is a coastal-inspired brand offering T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats and women’s boutique beachwear. It recently expanded into linen, button-down shirts, denim, jeans, jackets and custom one-of-one pieces.
The brand releases its products in limited quantities.
“Limited releases mean no waste and no fast fashion. It’s a moment, and it’s special,” Gabe explains.
Products range from $30 to $200 for custom pieces.
“My date-night T-shirt features a drop shoulder and a boxy fit, crafted from premium heavyweight 100% cotton, for $40. It can stand up to Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. It’s the same quality or better than your favorite brands,” Gabe says with a smile.
The lotus holds special meaning for Gabe.
“It symbolizes rebirth, rising up and out of muddy waters and blooming toward the sun. It reminds me that, no matter what, there is always tomorrow.”
The brand’s name reflects its core philosophy.
“It started out of my own struggles. I was a 23-year-old kid doing what I could but feeling lost. When college athletes move on from their sport after graduation, there’s a feeling of loss and a sense of ‘What now?’ So, I wanted to be open and honest about mental health,” Gabe explains.
Seven years into his business, Gabe supports the SL24: UnLocke the Light Foundation, a Delaware-based nonprofit focused on youth mental health. The organization works to prevent suicide, reduce the stigma surrounding depression and connect young people with free support services and safe spaces, including Sean’s House in Newark and the newly opened Sean’s House Sussex in Rehoboth.
“I love working with them. I did pop-ups with UnLocke the Light at the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington and designed the amateur volleyball shorts in 2025 for the Bump, Set, Light fundraiser here in Dewey,” Gabe says.
You can shop Gabe’s clothing at surflotus.com and find him at pop-ups such as Schellville during the off-season and at West Side Creative Market and Rocking the Docks next summer. His clothing is also available at Baked by the Dewey Post, 1205 Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach.
“I’ve even been throwing around the idea of a mobile store,” he teases.
Keep your eyes open for that and follow him on social media at @surflotus.
Gabe proves that surf-inspired style can also have a meaningful mission, creating a community where looking good and feeling good, physically and mentally, go hand in hand. Great style meets an even greater purpose!
