The month of January, 2014, has been unusually packed with trade shows and snow sporting news. Starting with the naming of the USA snowboarding team, Kelly Clark’s gold win at Winter X Games in Aspen, Sochi Olympics kick-off, Outdoor Retailer Trade Show, and now, followed up by 2014 SIA Snow Show January 30-February 2, in […]
Premium snowboard outwear brand Bonfire celebrated their 25th Anniversary at the SIA Snow Show last week in Denver, CO. The brand, which was one of the first to incorporate a street-sensibility and artistic lifestyle element into snowboarding can also claim durability and quality to their pants and jackets, as attested by many riders who wear […]
Fast-fashion retailer and brand H&M, based out of Sweden has released their year-end financials which show a strong response to several different factors. First, H&M’s Group sales were up by 9% during the financial year and 356 new stores were added, predominately in China and the USA. As our youth culture studies show, H&M is […]
Story and Photos by Tom Wallace and Kathleen Gasperini The big question is why is the outdoor lifestyle becoming more popular? The jam-packed Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014 from January 21-24, 2014, in Salt Lake City, UT, was energetic, inspirational, a networking hub, and business-central for a marketplace that seems less effected by the economic […]
While earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the main talk was how brands like Intel are now finally moving into the realm of wearable technologies, the focus has often been on pieces and ideas that are not actually youth culture focused. And yet, it is the youth marketplace of today that are […]
The kick-off to Bread & Butter Berlin, which ran from January 14-16, 2014, at the Airport Berlin-Tempelhof, launched with a massive opening party, a spectacle of lights, and a celeb-studded crowd. Under the theme “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” (I Am Berlin), Bread & Butter continues to be the centerpiece of European contemporary trade shows, but […]
The Japanese-based fast-fashion giant Uniqlo has tapped Dakota Fanning and British singer-songwriter Tom Odell for their Spring Collection. As we noted last week, the retailer continues to pave its way into the hearts of the U.S. and UK youth culture markets, especially with their “lifewear” clothing, unique apps, and online campaigns that make the brand […]
Fashion retail has been a roller coaster for the past few years, but over holiday season, we again see how some brands are able to capture a new marketplace and others continue to streamline in the wake of economic uncertainty. First, as Quiksilver announced several months ago, they continue to focus efforts on their core […]
Stokehouse Unlimited, launched by former Billabong President Paul Naude, has announced yet another brand within the action sports lifestyle industry. Under the direction of Summer Rapp, formerly of Roxy, and Mandy Fry, formerly of Billabong and Volcom, they’ll be launching a women’s surf and lifestyle brand with a roll-out starting this summer, 2014. This is […]
Story and Photos by Kathleen Gasperini and Tom Wallace The flagship Agenda trade show in Long Beach, CA, from January 7-8, 2014, represented a quintessential snapshot of where the marketplace of streetwear, action sports, and music-inspired lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories is headed. The show was packed with business being done at the brisk pace […]