Fashion-Focused at ASR
SAN DIEGO—If the runway at the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo Sept. 4–6 in San Diego was any indication, surf and skate brands believe in fashion for Spring 2009. From bathing suits to rompers, silk dresses to skinny jeans and sexy-tomboy to girly-girl looks, core brands such as Roxy, Volcom, RVCA, Hurley, Lost and Insight showed increasingly fashion-focused styles—and stayed well clear of anything heavily branded or too surf or skate. This fashion-forward trend stands in sharp contrast to surf and skate’s menswear business, which for Spring 2009 kept core. The runway presentation was a collaboration between ASR and Seventeen Magazine.
Hurley showed a T-shirt mini-dress with neon paint splashed across the front. Element showed a plaid shirtdress that took skaters’ ubiquitous uniform and turned it into something sexy. Hot Tuna showed a silk satin dress in a sophisticated shade of coral. Ruffled miniskirts from DC and layered neon cardigans from Fox felt fresh, as did a prison-striped tank paired with a flouncy mini from Insight.
The across-the-board shift from core to something resembling contemporary fashion has been a while in the making. For several seasons, surf and skate brands have made attempts to establish themselves in boutiques, and specialty retailers have been good, opening price-point resources. Early this year, Quiksilver upped the ante with the debut of its pricier boutique-friendly women’s line. RVCA took the game several steps further on Sept. 6, the final day of ASR, with a New York Fashion Week presentation of its Spring 2009 collaboration with model/designer/It Girl Erin Wasson. —Erin Barajas
