Outerknown: Kelly Slater's Sustainable Enterprise

December 16, 2023

A case study in lifestyle branding and sustainable development.

*Kelly Slater, Outerknown for Mr. Porter photoshoot (Ben Weller)*

On the coastal fringes of countries around the world there exists a subculture whose core values are embedded in local pride and group identity as practitioners of a specific lifestyle. These people call themselves Surfers, and their so-called High Priest is 43-year-old World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater, who hails from Florida. While still surfing competitively, secretly engineering artificial waves, and saving babies from rogue waves, Slater has partnered with some of fashion's heavy hitters to launch his new brand, Outerknown, now in its second season of production. Outerknown has been embraced by the fashion retail world for its lucrative potential, but met with backlash from Slater's long-time social media following who felt betrayed by the hefty price tags and associations with "sell-out" partners.

When Slater ended his two decade relationship with Quiksilver in 2014 due to massive internal budget cuts that axed his clothing line, VSTR, the surf world was stunned. It was no surprise then that Slater would continue to exercise his entrepreneurial muscles elsewhere, seeking partners who shared his passion for environmentally and economically sustainable business practices. In an unexpected move, Slater turned to French luxury conglomerate Kering, which backs fashion brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga, along with sportswear staples like Volcom and Puma. As a minority share investor, Kering will facilitate Outerknown's logistical and e-commerce support while being a critical component to the brand's ambition to build a sustainable supply chain.

Outerknown's endeavor to create functional, high-quality menswear essentials without neglecting the target market's surfer lifestyle, has been largely the work of Slater's creative director John Moore. In his early career Moore helped launch Hollister Co., a brand criticized by the surfing community for commercializing attire and products that were once confined to its unique domain. Yet, "That's when I learned how to apply design and identity to the holistic brand experience," Moore said. "Branding isn't just a logo– It's the way something sounds, smells, looks, tastes and feels."

Perhaps the hardest concept for Slater's 3.5 million social media followers to comprehend is that Outerknown is not another big surf brand incarnation. In interviews with Surfline and Business of Fashion, Moore stated, "Outerknown is not a surf brand... It's extremely timeless. I am hesitant to define it as luxury, I hope we can be more accessible than that. The sweet spot is anywhere from $70 to $400, and we'll have statement pieces, cashmere pieces, outerwear pieces that will go beyond that. Brands like Acne and A.P.C. would be great company."

Samples from the Spring 2016 collection: The Arroyo Coat made of hemp denim and recycled shearling lining ($495), The Jetlag Crew Sweater knitted with organic cotton alpaca wool ($385), and The Touring Pant ($175), all available online at the Outerk… — *Samples from the Spring 2016 collection:* *The Arroyo Coat* *made of hemp denim and recycled shearling lining ($495),* *The Jetlag Crew Sweater* *knitted with organic cotton alpaca wool ($385), and* *The Touring Pant* *($175), all available online at the* *Outerknown*.

Some argue that Outerknown isn't doing anything different or more innovative than other sustainable stores like Patagonia, but what's to criticize about its own efforts? According to a 2014 study by marketing agency Good.Must.Grow, 30% of consumers expect to increase the amount of goods and services they buy from socially responsible companies, up from 18% in 2012. In Surfing Magazine, Slater explained his ethical approach: "At the end of the day I'll be held responsible for the decisions Outerknown makes as a brand. We have to choose where the materials are sourced from and how the clothing is produced, and I'm putting my neck on the line. The goal is to be transparent. I've heard about companies that have actually produced their own plastic bottles in order to make their plastic bottle board shorts that are supposed to be all recycled. That's sad. That's a joke."

Consumers today are becoming more educated about the products they buy, and appreciate those things that have a positive back story. "If you're going to use good materials and take care of people working in your factories, the clothing will be exponentially more expensive to produce," Slater said. The Washington D.C. Institute for International Economies found that 80% of individuals are willing to pay more for an item given the assurance that it was made under good working conditions.

*Image Credit: Kelly Slater and John Moore by Barbara Davidson for the Los Angeles Times.*

In appealing to the conscience of eco consumers and surfers simultaneously, Slater and Moore understand that there is a niche market for their products within the surf community.

"Men and women have grown up with surf brands, but the key is that they've grown up and their interests have evolved," Moore said. "Everyone dreams of a coastal lifestyle– what that surfing lifestyle represents– but they don't necessarily want to dress head to toe like a surfer." This balance may be the secret to its longevity: It allows the mantras of the brand's social responsibility to reach consumers who may never have considered investing in ethical clothes. And that's a feat few can accomplish. ❂

(Originally Published February 2016)

http://peacockplume.fr/fashion/brands/outerknown-kelly-slaters-sustainable-enterprise

Futurism in Women's Activewear: Roxy & Courrèges

December 10, 2023

An unusual pairing that makes perfect sense.

*The Little White Bikini. (Photo: Scott Soens)*

Every woman needs a little white bikini this season, and the unique collaboration between women's surfwear pioneer, Roxy, and French fashion house, Courrèges will have you hitting the gym, the beaches and the slopes this year in high-performance, technically designed gear with an ultramodern aesthetic.

Roxy has done designer collaborations in the past with Diane Von Furstenberg in 2013 and Cynthia Rowely in 2011. For Roxy, these collaborations were safe. The designers played more toward the young, carefree juniors-centric image Roxy had always purveyed. Now, in the growing market for high-end sportswear akin to Lululemon, the Roxy & Courrèges collaboration has a more mature, modern appeal for Roxy, and an innovative niche market opening for Courrèges.

*Minimalistic and modern running pieces for the Summer capsule collection. Image credit: Soens.*

Co-president of Courrèges, Frédéric Torloting, alongside Jacques Bungert, explains that they have been close friends with Pierre Agnes, CEO of the Quiksilver Group, for a long time and share a mutual passion for surfing, skiing and snowboarding. The idea for the collaboration came when they decided to create a high-performance sportswear collection.

"Quite simply, the concept corresponds perfectly to the spirit of Courrèges," Torloting said. "After all, André Courrèges loved sports and was constantly working on innovating the technical aspect of clothing. And, just like Roxy, he came from the South West of France."

After their first meeting in February 2015, the two teams began working together between the Courrèges workshop in Paris and the Roxy headquarters in Saint-Jean de Luz. This fully French originated collection displays the influence and broadening of active lifestyle brands across a global fashion market.

"We're so happy and proud... This collaboration was exactly the kind of involvement that Courrèges was looking for," said Torloting.

*Roxy & Courrèges product reveal during the product launch in Paris. Image credit: sportandsand.com.*

The collection consists of sixteen pieces designed specifically for running, as well as snow and water sports. This collaboration holds true to Courrèges' legacy of a minimalist and avant-garde style, and is seamlessly blended with Roxy's technical, performance design specialties. The teams utilized materials such as light neoprene, jersey, recylcled polyamide, and UV50 protective features in the Summer collections, and Roxy's DryFlight and anti-cold Enjoy&Care materials in the Winter collection's snow pieces. Featured in both the Summer and Winter collections are clean, architectural lines, solid white pieces with pops of orange and hints of contemporary opaque sheerness. The mod color scheme contrasts beautifully with the tropical blues of the campaign's imagery from the Maldives with Stephanie Gilmore, Roxy's surf ambassador for the collection's Summer capsule.

*Gilmore product testing in the Maldives with custom Courrèges retro style single fin board and white one piece suit. Image credit: Soens.*

*Featured product shots of the collaboration's ruining an surf capsule. Available this June. Image credit: Roxy.*

The six-time world champion surfer was in Paris last week for the collaboration's official launch.

*Image Credit: Instagram/@stephaniegilmore.*

The running and surf collections will be available in June 2016 and the ski and snow collection in October 2016. They will be available in a selection of Roxy shops and also online at www.roxy.com. Prices start at €49,95 for a beanie and go up to €699,95 for a snow jacket. ❂

(Article originally published February 2016)

http://peacockplume.fr/fashion/brands/futurism-womens-activewear-roxy-courrèges

Chloé: a Brand Profile

December 09, 2023

The history and renewed vision of the Chloe Maison

Having been born in the throws of the bohemian wonderland of Paris in the 1950's, Chloé as a brand today is an aesthetic channel to the core essence of the feeling of nostalgia. While rubbing shoulders with the likes of Picasso on the cafes of Paris' Left Bank, Gaby Aghion, an Egyptian born Parisienne, founded Chloé in 1952, naming it after her close friend, Chloé Huysmans. She broke the mold of the haute couture premises of structured formality and tediousness by creating high-end fashion that was available to women straight off boutique racks. In doing so, she created a new standard for the way luxury fashion was to be consumed. Aghion has been said to have coined the term, prêt-à-porter, and revolutionizing the luxury fashion market's mobility, in terms of ready-to-wear production, into what we know it as today. With past (and now renowned) designers such as Karl Lagerfeld (1966) and Stella McCartney (1997), the Chloé brand grew to be loved by style icons over generations including Brigitte Bardot, Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and onto the modern It Girls like Lou Dillion, Olivia Palermo and Alessadra Ambrosio. The spearheading ambition and creativity of Aghion is still an essential underpinning of what the brand represents today in the collective fashion world.

In the last decade, the brand has undergone extensive changes in the overall creative direction and management. After the financial depression of the 2000s, and at the same time suffering unsuccessful creative direction changes, Chloé as a fashion house became slightly disillusioned. In 2008, Hannah McGibbon breathed new life into the brand as creative director. She made herself known within the fashion industry as the "camel girl" for often utilizing the color, but more importantly, she set a rising standard for the aesthetic projection of Chloé's brand image. New CEO, Geoffroy De La Bourdonnaye, stepped in to further revitalize the brand's growth and profitability in 2010. His vision was to establish Chloé as a major fashion house and swiftly replaced McGibbon with Clare Waight Keller, who had previously designed for Gucci, as well as American powerhouses, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. “Hannah had a great vision for Chloé’s woman, but the new demands of the job, in terms of workload, were too high,” De La Bourdonnaye told Business of Fashion, “One of the things about Clare is that she has the culture

*Clare Waight Keller (middle) with Chloe models*

of American companies, where people communicate a lot. She succeeded in doing the symbiosis between creation and business, something natural with Americans and more complicated in France, where, in general, the studios are in an ivory tower, untouchable. It’s not the case at Chloé,” explains De La Bourdonnaye, who was looking for someone who could be a manager and a brand builder, as well as a designer (Neuville, BoF).

Since the De La Bourdonnaye and Waight Keller takeover, the compatibility of their partnership is evident in the coherency of the aesthetic output of the collective Chloé image over the last five years. When Waight Keller took the creative reigns, she was mindful to satisfy the already established following the brand had, while forming a new and exciting aesthetic the Chloé girl would fully embrace. “Chloé has a very strong identity, a very passionate following of customers. We don’t want to change radically the vision, but we do want something fresh,” she says. Waight Keller's approach has been wildly successful, and has become continually more refined as an effective and recognizable brand aura. From Chloé's ready-to-wear, to their shoes, to their bags and accessories– even to their sister brand, See by Chloé– the voice is constant and reflective of adventurous femininity and bohemian nostalgia mixed with modern perspectives.

It can be said, perhaps, that the astute and responsive focus to the Chloé consumer profile is what has helped launch the brand back into major fashion house status in recent years. De La Bourdonnaye describes this sentiment to Luxury Society, "The good will that the maison has, is because so many women in the world have this free-spirit attitude. They are very independent-minded, they love to create something in their own life and embody freedom; this femininity, this strength under grace, which brings magic into the lives of others. It’s an incredible attitude, and all the Chloé girls around the world like to express themselves, but they don’t need to impress with a logo. So, in a way, the power of the brand was outside the maison, it was within the Chloé girls. Realizing that, listening to them, is helping us to create even more confidence for women who love to be magic, who love to impact others." The Chloé consumer is not at all enamored by over the top flashiness. The aesthetic quality of Chloé is recognizable and understood without the giant labels. “We’re not a brand that screams. We won’t sell as much as the brands who scream. We’re marked by our subtlety. We’re known by connoisseurs,” De La Bourdonnaye said (BoF).

Personally, I believe the Chloé brand signature is originated in Waight Keller's ability to invoke an ethereal, nostalgic quintessence of seventies bohemianism mixed with hints of modern structuralism and proportion-play in her designs. It's this aura of an idealized nostalgia that permeates her collections and appeals to women who may fantasize about living in another era.

Her muse for the Chloé Autumn/Winter 2016 collection, Anne-France Dautheville, embodies the pervasive aura of a multi-faceted, avant-garde minded woman. Dautheville's escapades of riding a motorcycle through parts of Africa and the Middle East during the seventies, inspired Waight Keller's vision of saturated hues, moto detailing, and exotic embroidery in the aptly titled Romantic Voyager collection. “She had this incredibly inspiring attitude, her sense of daring,” Waight Keller said to Women's Wear Daily backstage before her show in Paris. “She was chic and boyish at the same time. I found something really charismatic about her.”

This season's collection was a playfully mastered incarnation of Dautheville's gender-defiant journey through arid, foreign lands; manifested through kaleidoscopes of textured ponchos, rich leather pieces paired with flouncy chiffon, and patchwork lace dresses mixed with boyish sherpa pullovers– all punctuated with retro-mod moto boots. Although softly criticized by some as not resembling an Autumn/Winter collection enough, the Romantic Voyager continues the seventies-style revival trend, but with a deeper, fall palate, free from the typical somberness of the season. The Bianca Jagger-esque plunging necklines, and boho-peasant style dresses à la Stevie Nicks continue to be trademark Chloé nuances, encapsulating the fleeting feelings of old soft focus Polaroids and handwritten letters.

*Romantic Voyager, Chloe Fall/Winter 2016*

Contrasting with the nostalgic essence of Chloe's design choices, the brand whole heartedly takes advantage of the modernity of today's instant communications. More and more fashion bloggers and street style icons are conveying the Chloé girl image with a snap of their iPhones as they style the retro-mod inspired Faye and Drew handbags with their day-to-day outfits. In doing so, the more accessible the newly renaissanced brand becomes to an increased audience of luxury fashion consumers.

"We’re a brand for the day, not a red carpet brand. That is why we enjoy a very dedicated following, people who wear Chloé all the time, because the brand allows them to express themselves,” De La Bourdonnaye explained. With the fashion blogger boom, Chloe's revitalization came at the perfect time. The brand received huge visibility and resounding popularity among the emergent, and now legitimate, field of fashion blogging. As De La Bourdonnaye explains to Luxury Society, "That [word-of-mouth] circle has exploded with social media, because as you know, when you post, some people have the power to make one post, and influence thousands, hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of followers. That, to me, means that as a brand, at the maison, we need to consistently refocus on what we do best, which is to create and to relate. To create new items and relate with our consumers in an original way."

The brand's relatability and approachability has been enhanced through the use of social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, personal fashion and style bloggers which has in turn, opened up a younger demographic of luxury consumers that now have the brand set in their sights for future consumption.

This "create and relate" dynamic between Chloé's brand's image and the consumer's ability to see herself in the essence of each of the collection's inspirations each season, speaks volumes to brand loyalty. Hence the maison motto of, "Once a Chloé girl, always a Chloé girl." The brand's desire and willingness to listen and appeal to their client’s aesthetic consumer needs reverberates this. As Aghion once said, "Fashion should be fresh as a salad." It's safe to say that with the remarkability of Chloé's proven successful revitalization of the brand, De La Bourdonnaye and Waight Keller won't be serving us any wilted greens any time soon. ❂

(Article originally written Spring 2016)

Cuisse de Grenouille: Surfer Chic, Not Frog Legs

December 08, 2018

Surf style, the Parisian way

*Brothers Lucas and Séverin Bonnichon of Cuisse de Grenouille in its Marais location. Image Credit: Ludo Martin.*

"Surf in Paris." Where? In the Seine? Wakeskating behind Les Bateaux Mouches? Paddleboarding in the Canal Saint-Martin?

That's about as literal as any "surf in Paris" idea could get, and it seems unlikely that anyone would opt for the toxic soup that makes up Parisian waterways. Yet bringing together the two seemingly incompatible worlds of surf and metropolis is exactly what brothers Lucas and Séverin Bonnichon did when they founded Cuisse de Grenouille, a menswear brand based in Paris. Each year, Cuisse de Grenouille introduces seven new city names to the embroidered crew neck sweaters and tees in its Surf in the Cities series. The series is sold online, at its two brick-and-mortar locations in Paris and at other retailers all over the world.

*"Surf in the Cities" crewneck sweatshirts. Image Credit: Cuisse de Grenouille*

Cuisse de Grenouille began in began making boardshorts in 2010, and has expanded to all categories of menswear including basics, outerwear and even shoes. The style is an homage to the California surf culture of the 1960s and is fused with Parisian sophistication. Drawing on the urban, surf-hipster look popular with the younger surfer demographic of Southern California, Cuisse de Grenouille refines this image for the customer it calls the "gentleman surfer."

*Cuisse de Grenouille's Spring/Summer 2016 campaign. Image Credit: Cuisse de Grenouille.*

Located in the heart of the Marais, Cuisse de Grenouille's flagship store is subtly inviting to the casual window shopper who perhaps doesn't know that the signage translates to "frog leg."

"Foreigners will find it difficult to pronounce, but will know directly that it sounds French," said the Bonnichon brothers. "And for the French people, they find it funny and they will remember it."

Upon entering, a welcoming scent of coffee from the in-house coffee bar invites exploration beneath the wooden panels that sweep over the ceiling like waves. There are retro-style surfboards, brightly colored boardshorts and a wall of minimalistic basics with tees, button up shirts, cardigans, corduroy pants and light-washed jeans. The modern and laid-back space is very clean and maintained, with friendly staff and interesting accessories intermingled amongst the apparel. With €50 tees, €99 board shorts, €115 sweatshirts and €250 raincoats, Cuisse de Grenouille hits a price point that reflects the quality of a line made entirely in Europe.

*Cuisse de Grenouille flagship store in the Marais. Image Credit: Meghan Koch.*

The Hollister-esque pseudo-surf style, and its lack of surf-related credibility, has always been criticized within the core surf community because of its laughable use of stereotypes. This distaste is emphasized even more because of its mainstream appeal. Cuisse de Grenouille is capitalizing on the same type of surfer chic, but to a higher end, more refined, niche market. It can be argued that the core surf crowd has been anti-fashion in the past, but now the evolution of the modern surfer has taken to CDG's slightly preppy, retro image while still remaining cool and unpretentious. ❂

Cuisse de Grenouille, Le Marais, 5 rue Froissart, Paris 75003

Cuisse de Grenouille, Les Batignolles, 71 place du Docteur Félix Lobligeois, Paris 75017

(Originally published April 2016)

http://peacockplume.fr/fashion/cuisse-de-grenouille-surfer-chic-not-frog-legs

WetSand Surf Shop: Closing Brick and Mortar

December 05, 2018

Enduring a Brand Legacy

When I returned home to California this past February, I received an invitation to an exclusive friends and family store closing presale. However, this was in no way a going-out-of-business sale. Strolling down the bistro lit walkways of Downtown Ventura's historic Main Street promenade, I made my way to my familiar haunt. The warmth of the coconut vanilla scent I remembered all too well welcomed me back to what is now a legend of a surf shop. The craft paper shrouded storefront windows read, "Private Event" in a hastily but artistically scribed warning.

WetSand began as an online surf product retailer created by husband and wife team, Chuck and Candy Menzel. With the help of their artist/designer daughter, Shannon Menzel, they created a local legacy that formed a unique, signature personification of men's and women's surf style for this little corner of the world. Having designed for Patagonia and Roxy previously, Shannon was the fashion buyer and visionary for the WetSand brand's design direction. Situated right between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the artsy surf town of Ventura is just far enough removed from Los Angeles to retain an urban edginess, while honing a rugged, laid-back beach vibe inspired by the mix of blue and white collar demographics of the city. Laughter with close friends, mellow indie music and conspicuous conversations filled the air as we drank locally crafted beer and sipped wine as we received first dibs on the discounted prices of Shannon's always carefully curated brand selections. Acacia Swimwear, Mink Pink, Free People, Brixton, Billabong, Deus Ex Machina and more, were all up for grabs.

Having worked for the Menzel family, I know they always have something creative and innovative up their sleeves, so closing the brick and mortar shop after almost 9 years was a strategic move for them to begin their new "secret project" they have in the works. Despite the shop closing, the WetSand brand, blog and surf forecasting website, www.wetsandsurf.com, still prevails and continues with regularly updated content. It will interesting to see what comes next from WetSand in this new adventure for the local legends. ❂

(Written Spring 2016)

Cute Rubber: Spice Up Your Outdoor Adventures This Summer

December 05, 2018

Functional and stylish summer wetsuits

Summer is sneaking up on us ever so quickly, and whether your bikini body is ready or not, these sexy wetsuits— Yes, I said 'sexy wetsuits,' will have you as covered— or as uncovered as you prefer. Whether you're taking a swanky, tropical holiday or a budget, backpacking surf trip, this selection of suits fits the bill.

As a surfer, I know how imperative it is to have functional suits regardless of where I am in the world or what kind of waves I'm surfing. With that in mind, I found these suits from Seea and from Billabong's Surf Capsule Collection to be the best mix of style and function.

Nothing is more frustrating than having to do a boob-check and/or pulling your bottoms up after a wipe out— just to take the rest of the set on the head. Billabong’s Surf Capsule pieces do the job in addressing this potentially embarrassing and time-wasting problem.

Their Brazilian-cut bottoms have an enhanced staying-power, and the racer-back top with adjustable ties adds an element of surprise while providing the same support and range of motion as a sports bra. Billabong offers this design in a bikini set (above) or as monokini (below).

Monokinis are versatile. They're sophisticated enough for sipping cocktails poolside under a wide brim hat, and also provide a little more coverage for some sassy conservativeness— not to mention they're worry free for wardrobe malfunctions during long surf sessions.

Seea (below) offers a retro-inspired, tie-back Monokini in solid black, made of 2mm thick neoprene— perfect for the cloudier days. Neoprene maintains body temperature and adds a layer of protection to minimize those rib-knots that can develop from paddling for hours on end.

*Image credit: Seea*
***Seea Martinique 2mm Neoprene Onepiece $199.95***

Whether or not you score head-high, glassy perfection on your next holiday trip, this selection of suits won’t stay in your suitcase. Each of these will earn their wear as a statement piece, be it in or out of the lineup.