#TB30: Sunset Sound Owner Paul Camarata & His Journey to Tommy Bahama

If you saw Paul Camarata on the street, it might be easy to write him off as just another guy wearing a camp shirt. But for this relaxation expert, the shirt is Tommy Bahama, and Tommy Bahama is more than a shirt—it's a way of life.

“It's truly a way of thinking and feeling, and the clothes first help get you into that mode,” explained the owner of Sunset Sound, a legendary Hollywood recording studio on Sunset Boulevard that has hosted many iconic artists since its founding over 60 years ago by Paul's father, Tutti Camarata.

Paul's first encounter with Tommy Bahama was in the early '90s in Hawaii, long before we had an online presence and was predominantly a wholesale business. He had stumbled across the brand one day in a small specialty store, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I remember searching out the brand on the mainland when I returned home and was able to find it occasionally in small boutique clothing stores and some golf pro shops at Country Clubs,” he recounted. “This was always a great moment, like I had discovered some buried treasure, since at the time I considered the items very rare and special to me.”

Several years on, that love affair has only grown. With his beach house decked in Tommy Bahama furniture and regular visits to the Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar, Living the Island Life has been good to Paul.

“It's low stress and feeling a little of the 'islands' whenever you wear the clothes,” he said.

“Oh, and for sure, it's having a Mai Tai nearby at some point.”