BEN: Mermaids are cool. My favorite line from Splash is Tom Hanks: "Hey! Cut her some slack. She's from out of town!!!"
LAUREN/LAVENDER: Splash is obviously the best mermaid film ever made. I actually never saw Splash, until I became a mermaid IRL.
Mermaid show at the Silverton Hotel. Las Vegas.
When I was a kid there were restaurants that looked into big glass tanks and there were mermaid shows. It was mesmerizing. I think there was one in Malibu called the Seacomber. It's where McDonald's is now.
Malibu definitely needs a Mermaid Tank. I'm in!
Maybe that’s what should go in the new Cross Creek Ranch or whatever they’re calling the place next to Whole Foods. I’d buy that for a dollar! Are there enough pretty girls in Malibu for a quality mermaid show?
I know two other Mermaids with tails. I can gather a pod.
Pod? You sure? I’m gonna have to Google that. “Merpeople are thought of as half fish, half human. If mermaids were fish, a group of them would be called a school. If they were classed as humans, they'd be called a tribe. But perhaps they're sea mammals, similar to dolphins, where a group of them are called pods.”
Yep, pod of mermaids it is. When did mermaids put the hook in you so to speak?
Ariel clearly enjoys being a mermaid.
I kind of fell into mermaiding *pun intended*. As a child, The Little Mermaid was always my favorite movie. I always resonated with the mermaid lifestyle, being an ocean lover myself.
I think male ocean lovers dream about coming back as dolphin. Women as mermaids.
This makes total sense, but there are plenty of mer-men out there too! Anyone can be a mermaid.
Ooops. 21st Century! Pronouns! Merperson. Don’t get #mertooed.
I didn't choose to be a mermaid, the mermaid life chose me. A surf school in Malibu called Heaven on Earth hired me to fill in for their usual mermaid who was in Europe. This was for their surf summer camp: "Mermaid Mondays." I just happened to fit the tail. From there, it spiraled into something else and turned into its own thing. Eventually, I had to get my own tail since I started getting gigs.
Lavender says hello. Photo: Victoria Marie.
So it was kind of - sorry - a fluke?
Oh dear. I suppose. A happy accident. It’s been a fintastic voyage to say the least.
What do you call your mermaid self? Does she have a backstory?
Her name is Lavender. She's from Atlantis, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
I grew up in Miami, and often visited the Bahamas as a child. I always loved visiting the hotel Atlantis, and the mythology behind it.
Mermaid Lavender eventually left her castle on the east coast to go to California, the Great Pacific. And here we are.
Darryl Hannah as Madison in Splash apparently didn’t get the memo that friends don’t let mermaids eat lobster. But then, Madison is in her human form, so maybe it’s kosher.
Does Lavender prefer Pacific lobster to Atlantic? What do mermaids eat? I imagine they have to eat a lot as they are constantly moving. Getting chased by sharks and humans and whatnot.
That’s a common question, but mermaids don’t eat fish because the fish are their friends. Mermaids eat seaweed, pearl fruits, coral nectar, sea greens, and ocean fruits.
So you’re seagan, is what you’re trying to say?
I wanted you to say it.
Chilling by the pool. Lavender is available for birthdays, bachelor parties and Bar Mitzvahs.
Describe your costume? What is it made of? What does it weigh? I guess what I’m trying to ask in the words of Ryan Seacrest: WHO ARE YOU WEARING??!?!?
My mermaid tail was personally made for me by an independent designer in Miami, my hometown. Ha ha. I flew to Miami to be accurately measured. How was I measured? Wrapped in saran wrap and duct tape to make a mold.
LAVENDER HAVING A FIT
Bespoke flukes? That’s very tres chic.
On the beach. Photo: Victoria Marie.
The tail is made of silicone, and probably weighs more than me. Just kidding, I’m not sure of the exact weight, but it's heavy. It's not a fabric or cloth tail, it's an actual tail with a fin I can slip my feet into and swim with. It was actually cheaper to get my tail made by an independent new designer, versus purchasing one of the commercial mermaid tails. I also wanted a unique tail that no one else had.
Can you say how much it cost, for girls considering a mercareer? Is the suit durable? Wash and wear? Drip dry? Sorry.
My tail was $800 since it’s silicone, but commercial tails can be a couple grand. As an alternative, cloth & fabric tails are less than $100, and way easier to put on. To put the tail on, I have to put water-based lubricant all over my legs and feet, for an easy slide on! It still requires help from a friend. I usually have a Mermaid handler with me, to carry me into the party or wherever I am performing, once I have the tail on.
She must be carried. She must be a mermaid.
Oh maybe that’s why Ariana Grande insists on being carried everywhere. She’s a mermaid!
Could be.
Do you swim around the Malibu Pier sometimes just to freak people out? That would be fun.
I mainly swim in pools, I can do more mermaid tricks that way. I've still yet to actually swim in the Malibu waters, but I'd love to!
It’s a shame Griff Snyder is no longer with us. He had a huge house out at Point Dume with a window looking into his pool. We did a photo shoot for Chris Carter there with Lucia Griggi. Nailed it!
Darn, that looks cool.
PHOTO SHOOT AT GRIFF SNYDER’S POOL WINDOW
Where do you reveal yourself as a mermaid?
Mermaid Mondays were next to Malibu Pier. I've done birthday parties, viral video shoots, and local events around Malibu with different organizations, such as Mighty Underdogs.
Who reacts best? Middle-aged men or children?
The children love the magic.
The children love the magic & think I'm real. The men are more intrigued by the logistics of being a mermaid. About the same.
How long have you been immersed in this - so to speak?
Four years. I started mermaiding in 2019.
What has been your most memorable performance?
Most memorable performance was definitely with Mighty Under Dogs at their Aloha Circus, which was an event to commemorate the Woolsey Fires. I was on a paddleboard in Malibu, with world champion dog surfer Sugar the Surfing Dog.
I mean, have you ever seen a mermaid and dog surfing? There were some pirates too.
The video went viral on TikTok garnering over half a million views, ensuing a debate between children on tiktok debating if I was real or not. Most of them thought I was. It was interesting to see.
Magic still exists!
Sorry but I have to ask: Do you have an OnlyFins?
Stay tuned!
For more information and to book a performance:
Or contact: LaurenPenaMedia@gmail.com