Kelly Slater, inside the Outerknown.
Kelly Slater formally announced the name of the new brand he’s starting with the French fashion giant Kering. They’re calling it Outerknown. ‘Tis a good name.
Slater is laying the foundations for Outerknown with an LA-based designer named John Moore, who is wearing the hat of Creative Director. He’s the guy that Quik contracted to design both VSTR and the Quiksilver Girls brands, both of which fell under the sweeping axe (along with many athletes) of Quik’s drastic cost cuts.
When Kelly left Quik, many speculated that part of the reason he jumped out of bed after nearly a quarter-century roll in the sheets was because he wasn’t comfortable with some of their environmental practices. Whatever the case may be, his venture with Kering is a pretty good indicator that may have been the truth – the company is well-known for their focus on sustainability issues.
Kering owns Electric, Volcom, Gucci, and Puma, just to name a few. Now, if you’re one of those angry Internet commenters who hates anything to do with the business side of surfing (and face it, there is one), then you probably aren’t a big fan of Kering. “They just doing it for money!” you’ll shout. “They don’t actually love surfing!” you’ll scream, pounding your fists against your desk. And you’ll be right on both accounts. They are just doing it for money. They really don’t love surfing. They love money and their shareholders and generally doing things that successful businesses do so well. They’ve enlisted Kelly as a brand ambassador because he’s Kelly-freaking-Slater, and if anyone loves surfing, it’s him. They’re enlisting someone who legitimizes the brand. That is smart business in a space that isn’t exactly well-known for smart business. And if Kering is able to mix smart business with sustainable practices, then all more power to them.
“As global citizens,” Slater said on Instagram, “we have an obligation to build better products and understand the way our consumption impacts others. I am constantly traveling and observing the multi-cultural world we live in, and Outerknown is a brand that references my travels and stands for the values I believe in.”
Kelly’s got a big, successful business behind him on this one. While his previous brand, VSTR, wasn’t exactly a success (nor was it properly supported), Kering knows a thing or two about the clothing business. With a vast umbrella covering a host of huge names, Kering’s knowledge might be able to turn Outerknown into the next great success in the fickle world of fashion – and with Kelly Slater behind it, maybe the fickle world of surf consumers will let it happen.
