OXBOW MENS SURF APPAREL S/S 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Mens Surf Apparel S/S 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Oxbow
Interviewee: Manon JOUANINE – Men’s Product Manager

How did your brand cope with the Men’s Surf Apparel market in 2024?
In a tough market situation, we are happy to have succeed in maintaining our business at the same level as previous year.

What is the strategy for SS25: carrying-over staple SKUs and/or fresh pieces to boost demand?
We haven’t changed our strategy in term of line architecture this season. We still have the same amount of staple carry-over products which is our basics line that customers keep ordering season after season. We have almost the same amount of SKU than last season, just few more styles. We have increased a lot our SKU count in SS24 and are now staying at the same level which allows us to have a great balance between new fresh products, best-sellers styles and marketing image products.

What collection stories have you planned for SS25?
Our first story will be ZEBU SURF COLLECTIVE. A history around the trip to Madagascar of our ambassador Kepa Acero. Seeking for meeting the local community, he will take with him some surfboards with him to give away there, in a « Give back to the community » spirit. His goal is to surf where nobody has surfed before. Our graphics will be inspired by the primitive art of this region. Our second story will be PACIFIC SANCTUARY. Gilbert Teave and Tahurai Henri will go on a strike mission in the Pacific Ocean, with starting point Tahiti. At the last moment they will decide to go where there is a big swell and try to perform the best waves of the Pacific. The graphic inspiration will be around the Pacific Island but more focusing on what’s happening under water, all the corals and underwater life.

Has Surf Apparel distanced itself from the streetwear and outdoor influences in favor of heritage surf roots?
It’s been some years now that we are fully focused on Oxbow heritage. We bring back some Retro Surf Oxbow products inspired by our history and legacy. We have the chance to have a big library of catalogs and products since the creation of the Oxbow brand in our office. We take inspiration from those archives to create our new range and slowly go back to our origins subtly with no disruption.

The fabric spectrum has expanded from the cotton or poly options. Which materials are rising/declining within your ranges?
We always propose a wide range of fabrics in our lines. Now that we have the B-Corp certification we keep pushing the level of sustainability in our fabrics. Organic cotton and recycled polyester are still a major part of our range. This season we replaced all the viscose fabric by ECOVERO, an eco-responsible viscose fiber. Derived from sustainable wood and certified with EU Ecolabel, its production reduces by up to 50% CO2 emissions & water impact. We also have some fleece made with RECOVER cotton, a fiber made from unblended recycled cotton fibers. Using RECOVER fiber we help to reduce textile waste, resource consumption (land-use, energy, water..) and also promotes circular economy by giving a new life to used materials. Last point we are lauching a range of tee-shirts made of organic and recycled cotton : allows us to transform textile waste into new sustainable product

Which color/prints will you offer in SS25?
We are offering a wide range of prints this season with more diversity. We will start the season with some earth colors to have a smooth transition from winter to spring. We have mixed those earth colors with other brighter colors as the LIME or LILA to bring something different. Artwork will be inspired by the primitive art in Madagascar. The second part of the collection will have many bright and fresh color for the summer season. Many different blues, enhanced with yellow and coral to give some pop colors. Artworks and prints will be inspired by the Pacific Islands, corals, and underwater life.

Key Products:

TROPICS-SSS :
A shirt with Floral allover print, historical for Oxbow, reverse printed at back of the fabric for a faded colors effect. This shirt is made of ECOVERO Viscose, an eco-responsible viscose fiber. Derived from sustainable wood and certified with EU Ecolabel, its production reduces by up to 50% CO2 emissions & water impact.

RESORT-WK :
The most iconic of our Weekend hybrid shorts. Designed to be worn in or out of the water, these shorts are versatile, comfortable, and quick-drying. 20’’ length, a stretch quick dry fabric made of recycled polyester and a zipped pocket are the features that make this short suitable for all situations.

BOTANIC-SST :
This tee-shirt in made of jaspé (jersey creating from the twisting of two yarns wich gives nuanced colors and maes the fiber more resistant). Since its creation, Oxbow has used the technique of jaspé in its teeshirts its historical and part of the brand heritage. Guarantees durability and originality. This floral artwork is also inspired by the archives of Oxbow were flowers have always been very present. The Oxbow corporate logo in vertical is also an historical placement for Oxbow.