It’s the return of Baja East.

After a hiatus — since October 2023 — Scott Studenberg is back with a new collection. The creative director, based in Los Angeles and known for bringing relaxed luxury and gender-fluid wear, reemerges with a sharp focus, creative control and accessibility in mind with a lower price point.

“It’s nice to be back making things I love that I hope people will love,” said Studenberg from his Studio City base. He leaves a challenging chapter behind that forced him to reassess business.

“I originally started the brand in 2013 with a partner,” he explained of his cofounder and codesigner at the time, John Targon. “We did it for four years together. Then I found an investor to relaunch in 2019, and when COVID happened, he pulled out and gave me the company. I tried running it. And I didn’t want to. My strengths lie elsewhere.”

Studenberg thrives on the creative, designing, sharing visuals, overseeing photo shoots. He decided to take a break to visit family and travel, driving cross-country from Michigan to California with his dog and sleeping in his car among bison and mountains. “It was just really cool…and throughout all this time, I always knew what I wanted to do when I came back. Which is what I’m doing.”

He made his way back to L.A. a year ago and got to work.

The reconnection with nature, a longtime inspiration, comes to life in the new Baja East collection for spring 2026, bringing back familiar prints and new ones, including the brand’s “Freedom Horses” imagery, though reimagined for the new chapter. Horses, cacti, whales and beaches appear across the line.

“I’m ocean-obsessed. I went on an eight-hour whale watching trip on my birthday,” he smiled. “That’s how big of a nerd I am.”

On the business side, he found a new partner — a friend who’s a veteran sales director, Kelly Warner. Self-funded, they’ve restructured the business model and returned to local manufacturing.

“My friend and I spoke, and we’re like, ‘You know what? We can do this ourselves,’” said Studenberg. “To start out, at least…We’re doing everything in the U.S. right now, which is amazing. We don’t have to worry about tariffs or uncertainty. I’ve been able to find good people to work with in L.A.”

Studenberg hopes to reconnect with past online partners like Shopbop and Revolve. While Baja East’s early days included a few department stores, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks, he said it’s “never been a major department store brand,” though he’s open to physical retail partnerships moving forward.

The approach this time is about accessibility and longevity. “When we started, it was so expensive,” he said of initial price tags, with dresses often costing in the thousands. “We came from Lanvin and Celine and thought, ‘We’re luxury.’ Now, I want to open it up.”

On average, dresses today are priced at $298, shirts at $248, and other tops, pants and skirts at $188.

The collection — about 80 to 90 pieces — leans into easy caftans, terry hoodies and airy gowns, in bright hues, tie-dyes, organic cottons and satins.

“Even if someone’s in New York and can’t be on vacation, I want them to feel like they are,” said Studenberg. “If you can make your everyday life feel a little bit like a vacation…why not?”

To Studenberg, the line reflects Baja East’s core DNA.

“The original inspiration was the Mexican Baja mixed with the djellaba,” he said of the early influences, discovered on trips to North Africa and Asia. “It was always surf-to-street, relaxed luxury.”