by The Editors on May 8, 2008
In a shockingly silly legal maneuver ESPN has apparently sued Quiksilver in federal court over an “X” the clothing company has used that looks similar to the ESPN X Games logo.
Quiksilver uses a stylized “X” emblem on clothing, labels and accessories that is “confusingly similar” to ESPN’s logo for the series of surfing and biking contests, according to the lawsuit filed this month in federal court in New York.
“Despite protests by ESPN, Quiksilver has since willfully expanded the use of the infringing mark, and Quiksilver’s apparel and accessories are now replete with the infringing mark,” the suit alleges.
Seems like there would be an easier way to get Quik to advertise, doesn’t it?
[Link: LA Times]
by The Editors on May 7, 2008
According to Forbes.com :
Zumiez Inc. late Wednesday said same-store sales rose 4.1% in April, topping the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial for an increase 2.3% for the month.
Total sales at the Everett, Wash., action sorts retailer rose 20% to $24.2 million from last year’s total.
The stock closed the regular session at $20.38, down 2.6%.
[Link: Forbes]
by The Editors on May 7, 2008
Hard to believe this is a first, but Oakley is claiming it pretty hard. Enduring is their new line of “sport performance sunglasses made exclusively for women.”
Created in collaboration with the company’s top female athletes, ENDURING™ addresses all the performance needs of today’s woman while giving her the style of a freshly original, uniquely feminine design.
“Oakley ENDURING™ bridges the gap between form and function to offer female athletes the performance, protection and fit they need, and the style they deserve,” said Colin Baden, president of the company. “Oakley evolved in the world of action sports, serving the uncompromising demands of world-class athletes. Our impressive roster of female athletes gave us a wealth of insight into the wants and needs of today’s active woman. We applied this insight and the knowledge that came from decades of optical innovation to create a world first, the only sport performance eyewear truly made for women.”
Apparently, no one has ever made Oakley sport performance glasses for women before and it’s about time. Apparently, old-school, mini-truck driving girls need performance eyewear, too.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 7, 2008
LA culture blog Super Touch is reporting that former ice man Christian Hosoi has teamed up with Barracuda for a re-release of his hammerhead skateboard design.
OG skate legend CHRISTIAN HOSOI is best known for his signature “Christ Air” and the inimitable and groundbreaking shape of his best-known deck design, the original HAMMERHEAD. Now, teaming up with LA fashion boutique BARRACUDA, Hosoi has produced a limited run of 50 exact reproductions of the pioneering board shape in the to-die-for color combo of black-on-black. Releasing this Friday, May 9th at the Barracuda store (7769 Melrose across from Fairfax High School), and online at Barracudashop.com, each board will be signed and numbered by Christian Hosoi himself.
Congrats, Christian. Way to keep things rolling.
[Link: SuperTouch via Hypebeast]
by The Editors on May 7, 2008
With a net debt of 2.79 billion euros (thanks in a large part to their $1.5 billion purchase of Oakley) Luxottica is reportedly launching the “placement of $300 million worth of 10-year bonds with institutional investors” according to a report in Il Sole 24 Ore.
The proceeds will be used to refinance the $2.1 billion acquisition of the U.S. group Oakley completed in November last year.
In August, Luxottica said that the purchase would be financed by a $1.5 billion amortizing term loan with a maturity of five years and by a $500 million short-term bridge loan underwritten by Bank of America and UniCredit Market and Investment Banking.
But according to Forbes , no one at the company is commenting. They’re sticking to their official numbers of “strong growth .”
[Link: Forbes]
by The Editors on May 7, 2008
According to Hypebeast :
Combining a classic look with a timeless design, this season DVS Luxe has partnered up with Ray-Ban, a leader in eyewear manufacturing for over 70 years. DVS chose the “Wayfarer” sunglass model as the canvas for a mixture of black and brown, with a frame consisting of marble hues, and gloss black exterior.
All for only $199. Sounds like a bargain.
[Link: Hypebeast]
by The Editors on May 6, 2008
If you’ve wondered what DC Co-founder Damon Way has been up to lately, you’re in luck. Transworld Business’ Josh Hunter just interviewed him about his exit from DC and his new gig as the chief brand officer at incase . Here he explains his new position.
I am currently a shareholder and board member of the company and have most recently assumed the position of chief brand officer on a full-time basis. My responsibilities are centered on the brand’s positioning and messaging relative to the various market channels we operate in.
Click the link for the rest of the interview.
[Link: Transworld Business]
by The Editors on May 6, 2008
According to the crew at TheLabelLab :
Street fashion + art will come together May 17th at Crewest Gallery in downtown Los Angeles for the 2nd showing of THELABELLAB EXHIBITION featuring live fashion art creations and installations by LABELLAB members’ Drifter, David and David, and Pretti Vacant Accessories, with a special screening of “Bomb It”—The Graffiti Documentary by Jon Reiss. The Exhibition marks an exciting opportunity for emerging street fashion brands to depict their independent style through artistic interpretations in a unique gallery in downtown Los Angeles.
Follow the jump for all the details.
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by The Editors on May 2, 2008
According to Investerms :
Volcom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLCM) shares are soaring more than 25% midday Thursday on practically five times trading volume after first quarter results and an analyst price target upgrade.
The California-based clothing and accessory maker that sells products under the brand Volcom has added more than $100 million in market capitalization after reporting a 70.4% increase in first quarter net income. Net income rose to $9.3 million, or 38 cents per share, from $5.5 million, or 22 cents per share, on a 58.5% increase in revenues. Even with this drastic sales growth, Volcom managed to increase gross profit slightly to 52.4% from 52%.
Sometimes we’re glad we don’t own Volcom stock, and other times (like today) we’re bummed.
[Link: Investerms]
by The Editors on April 28, 2008
Looks like NBA China is going to be taking a little more of Heidi Ueberroth’s time in the coming months.
Heidi Ueberroth, global business executive of the National Basketball Association, has stepped down as a director of Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. as she works on launching an NBA league in China.
Seems like she could have done business for both brands while she was there.
[Link: Orange County Business Journal]
