We spoke with Rob McCarty, Vissla VP of Design, to learn what Spring ’17 will look like for Vissla, what has been working well for the brand this past season, and what else is new with the growing brand.
What’s new for Spring ‘17?
Rob McCarty: For Spring ’17 we are offering a tight collection aimed at the surf consumer through our premium controlled distribution.
It’s all new, featuring unique print stories inspired by interesting people and locations we all aspire to surf around the globe.
We are introducing new fabrics, wetsuits, and collaborations with a young artist, master craftsmen, and legendary print houses.
What is the most important product story for Spring?
Rob McCarty: Spring for Vissla begins with three boardshort-based collections.
The “Sundaland Collection” takes influence from the authentic Asian archipelago prints.
The “Vissla made for Jason Woodside” collection was designed in collaboration with NYC street artist and surfer, Jason Woodside.
The “Covert Collection” is based on the premise of less is more with understated, black logo-less styles in all categories and features a boardshort made from Vissla’s most hi-tech fabric to date.
To coincide with the collection, a limited all-black surfboard was constructed by Vissla’s own Creator & Innovator, Jeff McCallum, who is a shaper in his rawest form and well recognized for his black boards with minimal logo-ing.
How will you market it?
Rob McCarty: We plan to market Spring ’17 with the successful formula we have developed here at Vissla — a combination of digital marketing, social media, our Creator & Innovators, aspirational product commercials, as well as new films.
We want to keep it all a surprise, but we’ve really dedicated ourselves to produce innovative, fresh content for next year and plan to launch it in a unique fashion.
What was the biggest hit of last season?
Rob McCarty: Upcycled Coconut Boardshorts, premium tees and wetsuits — mainly the products you use when you’re at the beach or actually out surfing and would expect to purchase at a core surf shop in a real beach town.
Anything else new with business?
Rob McCarty: Since we are a young, modern surf brand, we like to keep a fresh mindset and believe it’s all new each season. We definitely have many more surprises dropping into a retailer near you very soon, and often.
