Volcom, the action sports and lifestyle brand, first launched in 1991 after a fateful snowboarding trip
led founders Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall to create their own line
of clothing based on the idea of a youth-led cultural revolution. Since
then, Volcom has grown into a major force within the industry, sold
around the world and now owned by the same company, Kering, that also owns fashion powerhouses as diverse as Gucci, Puma and Alexander McQueen.
But
it hasn't just been the business side of Volcom that's evolved; in the
years since the brand first hit the market, their product has been
continually refined, as well. The latest category to be reworked: Volcom
Brand Jeans.
Although Volcom has been making jeans for 20 years,
the new collection marks a turning point and a complete overhaul and
re-launch of their denim offering. Priced from $55 to $80, the denim was
inspired by life on the road, with a cleaner, more
Matt Andersen, VP of Men's Global Apparel at Volcom, and JJ Gonzales, Men’s Senior Denim Designer, broke down for About.com all the details on the brand new denim collection.
After 20 years, why was the timing right to introduce a revitalized Volcom denim range now?
At
Volcom, we have been endlessly fine-tuning and perfecting our denim
collection over time and we felt that 2015 was time for a strategic
global re-launch of Volcom Brand Jeans. We felt it was important to
continue to elevate and modernize the product.
How does the new denim differ from what came before?
How does the new denim differ from what came before?
With
the Volcom Brand Jeans collection we focused on superior fits, quality
denim fabrics, performance features, and upgrading our signature
details.
We updated the range with 4 essential fits and introduced a new innovative “Form Fit”. This fit is inspired by the natural fit of well-worn jeans and the manner in which their shape conforms to your body. The “Form Fit” limits restriction, providing the wearer with a superior and enhanced performance jean designed for movement. We’ve also upgraded the communication of our denim with clearly conveyed fit guides and details in all packaging, retail stores, as well as a denim landing page on our website, making it easy for consumers to choose the best jeans for their personal style and body type.
We continue to partner with superior denim fabric mills such as Cone to bring our customers durable and quality denim such as the Cone S-gene patented premium stretch technology and the new Sorbrtek denim with enhanced moisture wicking & soil releasing properties.
[The performance] features include durable buckle button closure to eliminate pop off. Our embroidered rivets create for snag free movement and our unique patented cell phone pocket presents an extra feature for pocket storage.
We take pride in our signature details which we kept in the new collection but updated the design for a modernized look such as a new back patch and indigo thread embroidered branding, an updated back pocket shape and signature off set back yokes, as well as dual finished metal trims. It all comes down to detail. And we don’t cheat on the details.
Who is the Volcom Brand Jeans customer?
We updated the range with 4 essential fits and introduced a new innovative “Form Fit”. This fit is inspired by the natural fit of well-worn jeans and the manner in which their shape conforms to your body. The “Form Fit” limits restriction, providing the wearer with a superior and enhanced performance jean designed for movement. We’ve also upgraded the communication of our denim with clearly conveyed fit guides and details in all packaging, retail stores, as well as a denim landing page on our website, making it easy for consumers to choose the best jeans for their personal style and body type.
We continue to partner with superior denim fabric mills such as Cone to bring our customers durable and quality denim such as the Cone S-gene patented premium stretch technology and the new Sorbrtek denim with enhanced moisture wicking & soil releasing properties.
[The performance] features include durable buckle button closure to eliminate pop off. Our embroidered rivets create for snag free movement and our unique patented cell phone pocket presents an extra feature for pocket storage.
We take pride in our signature details which we kept in the new collection but updated the design for a modernized look such as a new back patch and indigo thread embroidered branding, an updated back pocket shape and signature off set back yokes, as well as dual finished metal trims. It all comes down to detail. And we don’t cheat on the details.
Who is the Volcom Brand Jeans customer?
Volcom
Brand Jeans cater to all sorts of consumers. The new collection
embodies the idea of “Real Life Happening” meaning we encourage people
to get off their phones and do something. Whether it be getting out on
the road, starting a band, or taking a ride on your board. The idea is
about growth and an openness to explore new things and we feel that this
is a concept that most people can relate to.
From a design perspective, how did you approach the new collection?
From a design perspective, how did you approach the new collection?
With
this new collection we took a cleaner approach to timeless style. A bit
of a 'less is more approach' with clean utilitarian styling, while
always challenging ourselves to make products that perform as well as
our athletes available to consumers.
Do you see Volcom Brand Jeans continuing to evolve as trends in denim change, or remaining somewhat consistent?
Do you see Volcom Brand Jeans continuing to evolve as trends in denim change, or remaining somewhat consistent?
We
will always evolve as we continue to innovate, while remaining “True To
This”, which is the Volcom mantra. The entire Volcom team is extremely
excited for the all the new innovations coming up for 2016!
