For eight years, Natalie Wray shaped brands as a graphic designer and creative director. Eventually, she decided it was time to build one of her own.

While studying illustration at MassArt in Boston, she met her now-husband, Connor, a Newport native, and quickly fell in love with the coastal town he called home. Although Natalie grew up near Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, she was always fascinated by the ocean. Whales and other marine life were recurring subjects throughout her work.

In 2019, Natalie and Connor moved to Newport full-time. During lockdown, they spent much of their time outdoors, surfing, paddle boarding, and sketching on the beach. As Natalie’s collection of sketches grew, she began to imagine them becoming something more.

That vision became Sunwray in the winter of 2024. Today, Natalie designs every Sunwray product and dyes and prints each pennant flag by hand in her Newport home studio. When she is not at the shop, you can usually find her running along the Cliff Walk, sketching at the beach or a coffee shop, taking an afternoon swim, or walking her two pugs through town.