Quiksilver Launches Project Targeting Dream Girls
Every brand has a muse that inspires its direction each season and helps it tell its story. With the launch of Quiksilver’s new women’s line, the brand had a very clear vision of its muse. Creative, driven, independent and entrepreneurial, the Quiksilver dream girl isn’t necessarily a beach bunny or a skate rat. With the launch of siteLA, a unique project that gathers six women with diverse creative pursuits who embody the Quiksilver muse, the brand will provide a workspace, exhibit space, tools, funding and exposure.
Housed in an airy storefront in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood, siteLA and its “Visionaries in Residence” will explore themes of fashion, art, architecture, design and music for one. The Visionaries, all young and adventurous, include fashion blogger Beth Jones, artist Sara Anderson, bicycling activist Dorothy Lee, architect Jesse Rodato, automotive designer Khrystyne Zurian and musician Pilar Dias.
Though the brand and the project don’t touch directly on the surfing lifestyle, the spirit is the same, said Joshua Katz, marketing director for women’s. “Everything we do is rooted in the spirit of surfing,” he said. At its core, the siteLA project is an attempt to get to know its customer better, he said. “A lot of this is to create a conversation with our customer. Historically, Quiksilver men’s has created an intimate relationship with its customer. We have sponsored athletes and produce events that gather surfers, skaters and snowboarders and help build communication. With the launch of a women’s line, it is only natural that we would do something similar,” Katz said.
Though the Visionaries don’t participate in the design process, they can influence the line in other ways, Katz said. The design team visits the siteLA space, and sometimes the storefront acts as a popup showroom for the brand.
Quiksilver collaborated on siteLA with Readymade magazine, furniture retailer Modernica and design firm Built Inc.
Located at 2522 Sunset Blvd., siteLA is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m., and video of and by the Visionaries can be viewed at www.sitela.org. —Erin Barajas
