This week has been CRAZY for the Active Team. Between the Olympics, Billabong’s Design for Humanity Event and Launch LA, we have had our fair share of high-fives and warm Red Bull. For its inaugural show, Launch LA was a total success. A smaller, more boutique vibe insured that buyers and brands were able to connect on a very personal level. Positioned in the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica airport, the space was totally unique, with a fresh and simultaneously industrial atmosphere. As Ray Barbee jammed in the background, we wandered from booth to booth, snapping pics and talking shop with an incredible selection of directional brands including veterans in the Action Sports industry like Split and Jimmy’Z to newbies like The Break, Wellen, Broken Home, WAAR and Tallow.
We gave our S/S14 Megatrends presentation to a curious crowd, while airplane engines roared in the background. That was definitely a first for us in terms of talking trend. Thankfully, Mark from The People’s Movement was on hand to capture all the action using Cinegram app, the “new new” instagram that we have been obsessing over.
Big trends on the floor included, retro graphic prints and stripes, shorter silhouettes for boardies, cool pastels and there was definitely a “made-in-America” thread running through more than a few booths.
70s-inspired denim shirtcoat – Fremont
Vertical candy-stripes – TCSS
Multi-functional Mountaineering – Topo Designs
Exploration in typography – Wellen
Updated wax prints – Tallow
Made in America – Broken Homme boots
Clever use of logo and tropical prints – Urt
The Break – tribal 80s, abstract repeats
The Swami Playsuit (back view) from Seea – 100% made in California <3
Naive florals AND eco-friendly – The People’s Movement
Stay tuned for a full report in the Active Section ASAP! - Jeanine Pesce
