Quiksilver Builds Division for Independent Lines
Action-sports powerhouse Quiksilver Inc. is taking a new approach with a group of new brands with a non-mainstream look.
Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver’s indie lines will be developed by its new Emerging Brands division, which is located in Newport Beach, more than a 10-minute drive away from Quiksilver headquarters, said Steve Tully, president of Quiksilver’s Americas division and executive vice president for Emerging Brands for the Americas.
Brian Bowen, a Quiksilver vice president, runs the Emerging Brands division and reports to Tully.“Our goal is to internally develop unique, commercially viable brands, utilizing a combination of internal talent and new contributors from outside our Quiksilver family,” Tully said.
One of the first brands was recently debuted. Summer Teeth is a capsule collection of T-shirts, beach towels and other products developed with surfer Dane Reynolds. It is currently being sold at www.summerteeth.com.
In spring 2012, Quiksilver will debut Moskova, which Tully called a European-designed underwear line. Men’s Moskova underwear will debut in 2012; the women’s line will launch later. The fashion underwear line was designed by Euro surfers Miky Picon and Jeremy Flores and their pro bicyclist friend Patrick Bevin.
Quiksilver recently hired 16 sales representatives to sell the fashion underwear to action-sports stores in America and Canada, Tully said. It also will be available for sale at www.moskova.com. Also scheduled to debut in spring 2012 will be the line V.S.T.R., which is pronounced “visitor.” However, Tully did not release much more information about the upcoming brand. “What we can say is that the line will be different from anything currently in the marketplace and will be positioned as a premium collection,” Tully said.—Andrew Asch
