By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
‘America’s Greatest Family Resort’ has been a dry island since its methodist founding in 1879, meaning that no alcohol can be served at a restaurant or store island-wide. One local businesses is cleverly rebranding the ordinance.
Shirts tout phrases like ‘Made for Makers and for Breakers.’ Most might interpret the shirt to encourage anarchy and rule-breaking, but it’s actually a reference to the Prohibition Era, when sneaky suspects made booze in secret and police officers stormed the property and broke the bottles.
Eric Plyler, the founder of Dry Island, loves incorporating local and national history into pieces with double meanings. Ocean City’s dry status has caused some controversy in recent years, but the town can come together and celebrate this unique quality, Plyler says.
Plyler, 29, grew up in California but spent every summer since birth in Ocean City. During his senior year of high school, his family moved across the country to settle in OC permanently.
After high school graduation, Plyler attended Stockton University and majored in business, following in the footsteps of his father. He was inspired by his sister, who studied at an art school in Philadelphia, and taught himself graphic design.
“I had wanted to design a clothing brand since I was a teenager, so when I moved to Ocean City, I created Coastal Collaboration, a brand that highlighted similarities between coastal regions worldwide, like Hawaii and California and Ocean City,” said Plyler. “I worked at Heritage Surf and Skate, which sold the collection in-store, and eventually I was allowed to design some merch for Heritage itself.”
The entrepreneur decided to part ways with Heritage in 2017 and start his own graphic design company, Plyler Premium. The startup allowed Plyler to do design work and printing for small businesses regionally. And yet, the itch to chase the clothing-brand dream grew stronger.
In 2018, Plyler held his first Dry Island sale at the Ocean City Block Party, directly in front of what would become his storefront on 11th and Asbury just three weeks later. In 2019, Dry Island was awarded the Outstanding New Business award by the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Today, Dry Island includes multiple lines of shirts, sweatshirts and accessories, and is run by a manager and multiple seasonal employees. The store operates year-round with Plyler getting creative with new items and collaborations constantly.
“Whenever folks encounter our stuff, they almost always laugh,” said Plyler. “Whether you agree with the law or not, or even abstain from drinking or alcohol, or just enjoy history, you’ll love our brand.”
The founder told Shore Local News that personally, he appreciates the dry town status. “I think it’s really beneficial for the town, and it allows locals and visitors to get creative with how they spend their free time. As a brand, we just want to unite folks around Ocean City, which we are lucky enough to call home,” he said.
For anyone interested in shopping at Dry Island, the store offers a year-round loyalty program: when you spend $250 dollars collectively over a period of time (or all at once), customers receive a free hat. For more information, visit their website at dryisland.co or their Instagram under the same handle.
