Author: Kathleen Gasperini

Agenda Trade Show Announces Collaboration with Flexfit, and Agenda Emerge Names Speakers

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AGENDA, the leading forum for the action sports, surf, streetwear, lifestyle and footwear industries, has a lot going on for its upcoming trade show January 7-8, 2014, in Long Beach, CA. First, it’s announced a strategic partnership with FLEXFIT—one of the world’s largest vendors of custom, private label headwear—as its exclusive headwear sponsor for an […]

Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons Heats-up as ASP World Surfing Title Determined Here, Plus Awesome Photos

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Kelly Slater vying to win again at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo by Cestari/ASP. The North Shore of Oahu is currently packed with the top surfers in the world vying for the coveted win of the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Memory of Andy Irons. Billabong Pipe Masters represents the pinnacle of the 2013 Association of […]

Nelson Mandela…”Sometimes It Falls Upon a Generation…”

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Nelson Mandela…1st leader of a multi-racial South Africa. His ability to reach people touches everyone. He did not let bitterness claim his heart. “Difficulties break some and make others…” “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation.” I met him once. I am a lucky person. Rest in Peace

Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Heats-up at Sunset with SuperCharged Sets, 32 Top Pros

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It was a busy Thanksgiving holiday on the North Shore of Oahu as the second out of the 3 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing events, the most prestigious events in surf competition, set-off on macking-big waves. The winner of the 39th annual Vans World Cup of Surfing on December 1, 2013, was a real surprise, […]

Youth Lead Walk-Out at United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw—Plus, How Youth Culture Is Changing Sustainable Brand Strategies

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The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland, was already dealing with complications from the very beginning, but yesterday, November 21, 2013, a walk-out of some 800 people, mostly young, from organizations such as 350.org, Greenpeace, WWF, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, and others, left the conference in an act of protest wearing T-shirts […]

HIC Pro Winner Mason Ho Advances to the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing; Follows in Champion Father’s Footsteps

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The HIC Pro is the local’s qualifying surf event that grants surfers the chance to enter the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of surfing on the North Shore of Oahu in the coming weeks. The competition is always tight as so many top surfers surf the waves in this area daily, but last week’s winner, Mason […]

Twitter Takes Flight, Goes Public, and Effects On Youth Culture Markets

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Twitter went public yesterday (TWTR), Wednesday, November 6, 2013, offering 70 million shares at a price of $26 per share raising the IPO value to $14.1 billion. (In comparison, Facebook’s IPO last year was $16 billion.) But today, Thursday, on its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the stock increased in […]

H&M Conscious Foundation Concludes Top 3 Global Issues with Water Being Number One

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As we reported last week in our Sustainability Round-up story, H&M Conscious Foundation launched a program to gather information from employees and customers as to which 3 top global issues the Foundation should address in the coming year. The results are in with the top issue being Water: defined as “safe access to clean water […]

Sneakerboy, the Luxury Sneaker-Freaker Buyer, and Fresh Concepts in Retail

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While Nike tends to still hold fast to the notion that sneakers are not fashion, but are first and foremost about high-tech function, niche brands with a nod towards fashion have plowed their way into the cool aesthetics of a new culture of sneaker-heads. Not that Nike’s not on the leading-edge of sneaker style, because […]

Sustainability Round-up: H&M Open Invitation for H&M Conscious Foundation; Levi’s X Dyneema for Longer-Lasting Jeans; Patagonia’s Responsible Economy Program

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Sustainable solutions are key business strategies for many of the top global leading brands targeting youth culture these days. As we’ve noted in our various Sustainability and the State of the Future Youth Culture Studies, sustainability issues are vitally important to a new generation of young people who have grown-up with recycling as a part […]