Quiksilver Talks Tees With Students
Quicksilver Inc. executives explained the ins and outs of designing and manufacturing T-shirts at a March 12 panel that opened the California Community College Fashion Symposium’s program for fashion design and merchandising students at the California Market Center.
“Your T-shirt is as good as its perception to the consumer,” said Guy Chanin, the South African–born director of merchandising at Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver. “It’s all about branding.”
Taking into consideration the some 800 students who fidgeted in the audience, Chanin interspersed his talk with four-minute videos showing sun, surf and Quiksilver-clad boys and girls frolicking to catchy pop music.
Linda Capps, a vice president in Roxy’s screen-print division, said the tee is a canvas on which a lot of art styles can be applied, including flocking, embroidery and appliqueacute;s.
Andrew Akiyoshi, a vice president in screen-print production, said Quiksilver sold more than 15 million units of T-shirts in North and South America in the fiscal year ended October 2004. He said the company implemented a program that automates the process involved in determining blends and designing screen prints and other aspects and purchased its own screenprint facility in an effort to streamline production.
The Quiksilver executives also judged a contest in which college teams transformed a basic blank tee into a woman’s shirt in 30 minutes. The winner of that contest was Pasadena City College, whose three students created a white halter top decorated with blue rolling waves.
The CCCFS also awarded prizes to designers in the student fashion show and to the winner of a contest in which participants redesigned men’s shirts. Judges included representatives from ABS by Allen Schwartz, Western Costume Co., Paul Frank Industries Inc. and Cat Bag Couture.
Students also were able to discuss breaking into the fashion business with designers and executives from two dozen companies, including Volcom, the online database service TheFashionTool.com and Tukatech Inc. —Khanh T.L. Tran
