Men’s Surf Apparel FW16/17 Trend Report

Lightning Bolt

Snowy landscapes, cold water and wild camping… Forget about palm trees, warm water and boardies, ‘Cold Water Surfing’ is rising in popularity, much to the delight of Europeans who are not prepared to stop surfing or to make surf trips away – even in the coldest four months of the year. It’s a period where everything belongs to them but it’s also one that requires quality garments more than any other, pre and post surf! For FW16/17, silhouettes are enriched and more complex, guaranteeing those who want it a raw, timeless look whether on top of a rocky point, huddled round a fire or perched at a local bar. Report by Denis Houillé.

THEMES AND INSPIRATION
The desire to travel has always been anchored in the character of surfers but in recent years this uncontrollable ‘wanderlust’ has turned towards more and more ‘out there’ destinations for which accomplished, high-performance equipment is the order of the day.

Every manufacturer is now able to fit winter surfers out head to toe as well as with little camping accessories (mugs, knives and ice boxes). Designers have drawn on the diversity of European coastlines for inspiration. At Superbrand, it’s specifically “the contrast between the big towns and coastal towns, in other words, calm and chaos,” as described by Juliana Dantas, Apparel M&D Director. At UK company Animal this is their first collection directly inspired by CWS, and Karl Reid from their Design department says it takes inspiration from “surfing the local reefs near Animal HQ and feeling the need for product that was functional without looking like the typical outdoor brands that would usually make this product.”

Even though the FW16/17 collections generally radiate simplicity (neutral shades and rather all-purpose), it’s reassuring to see that creativity has not been neglected. But it’s T-shirts that remain by far the most creative pieces of the autumn/winter season as seen at Billabong, among others, with an impressive number of collabs and artist series; something our industry excels at.

Far away from organised boat trips and high-profile contests, winter surfing in Europe pertains to the outdoors and to camping, which are steadily becoming the hallmarks of surfing in Europe. Brands are now addressing the consumers/surfers who are so in tune with “their” environment and so connected that they are prepared to brave any weather as soon as a swell is seen approaching on the weather maps. Baltic? North Atlantic? North Sea? They’re all possible venues. “No matter the conditions” is the mantra used by Brunotti with the four letters NMTC.

COLOURS AND TREATMENTS
Neutral, organic and complex, the colour schemes used in the FW16/17 season relate to the form of European coastlines, lush green or limestone, sandy or rocky. The elements of nature are therefore represented, like at Urban Beach for example, inspired by the dense forests and chilly beaches of their winter environment. Strong autumnal colours stand out, combined with dark tone fade washes.

At Lightning Bolt, the palette is full of energy with “red accents from the uncontrollable Hawaiian volcano, Kïlauea, that burns and reduces to restrained washed hues of ash and dusty greys and blacks onto the natural transition that carries the verdant Sycamore and Antique Greens, together with the pure Moon Indigo and deep Navy Blues, inspired in the garden Isle of Kauai.”

At Reef, designs with warm tones (mustard, brown and prune) accompany cold colours (indigo, light grey). At …Lost, the palette is darker than ever and this is “not just to annoy their designers” as Jim Zapala, artistic director puts it. Superbrand are gravitating toward dark blues and military greens, combined with warm touches of red and yellow. Meanwhile at Billabong, dark turquoise accents, washed out orange, brick/rust and jade/pine and canteen are on the menu. Finisterre are bringing navy blues added to textured charcoal tones supported by touches of cobalt, ochre and clay red. The creatives at Rip Curl Europe, rather than having segmented colour palettes as was the case before, “this season (we) have decided to work with one general colour scheme across the whole range” explains Brice Maumet, “the aim was to create a more versatile crossover range with different themes and collections that come together in shops.”

Lastly, products are receiving faded washes, as much for aesthetics as for comfort. Furthermore, at Superbrand, each product even features “its own faded wash and own printing technique depending on the look you are going for,” specifies Juliana Dantas.

Rip Curl

MATERIALS AND TEXTURES
Functionality, comfort and practicality become the primary criteria in terms of clothing. “We’re continuing to see growth in consumers who want more from their clothing, both in ethical sourcing and functionality, without sacrificing style,” say Debbie Luffman – Finisterre, Product Director.

Richer, higher-quality and more comfortable materials logically belong to a new set of design requirements. Sherpa wool comes in to thicken the lining of many pieces. Stretch cottons are employed on all kinds of trousers. Flannels and fleeces are getting heavier for more insulation. Recycled denim thickens up sweatshirts. Cotton is found worked into its various different weaves (poplin, twill, mounted) to bring interesting texture grades, both from a visual and handfeel point of view.

Simplicity and durability are key features and as Iron & Resin co-founder and designer Jackson Chandler puts it “We have always tried to take to a very classic and timeless approach to our product line. Our aim is to have our products stand the test of time and trends.”

To face the coming season, Finisterre are combining “the comfort and versatility of wool with modern treatments and reinforcements for better durability.” Lightning Bolt are featuring juxtaposed textures and contrasted hues.

DETAILS FOR THE “TRAVEL-MINDED”
Pursuing swells into lost lands means having to camp or subsist on site for a few days or hours depending on the quality and duration of the swell…(emails can wait, autoreply is made for that). This is a frame of mind that Reef and their ambassadors have had for a few seasons now with the “Just Passing Through” mantra becoming a totally separate marketing message, a hashtag that needs no others.

Winter travellers, regular road-trippers or simple weekend-warriors; these collections respond to their needs. “Stretch” pants (jog/track suit or chino) combine comfort and practicality to carry essential accessories and with a cord instead of a belt it won’t set off airport metal detectors.

On the top floor, let’s focus on jackets, which has became a key product in many manufacturers’ products lines ; from the trucker jacket Levi’s type to the shorter down jacket Patagonia’s type, through the lighter but nevertheless very stylish coach jacket. Expectation weighs heavily on THE winter surf jacket’s specifications: Light and warm, spacious yet space-saving (!), casual yet aesthetically new.

On the program for many brands such as Urban Beach is “multi-functional outerwear designed to be worn in all weather conditions”. The example from Reef’s jackets combines “the functions of a piece of outerwear with a lifestyle aesthetic to make a very versatile product,” as Paulo Cortelazzi, EMEA Reef & SmartWool Marketing Coordinator describes. At Billabong, jackets also remain a strong category. “Cotton/canvas back to school jackets with special big freeze parkas in the “Adventure Division” range, all models were improved as much in their materials and cuts as in their finish (impermeable, breathable and lined by a thick layer of “Primaloft”” explains Nicolas Perceval (Head Designer, Billabong Men).

Urban Beach.

COLLECTIONS STRIPPED BACK TO THE ESSENCE
Looking at each collection in its entirety, we can see that most brands are refocusing on their essence and in doing so are reducing the number of SKUs as is the case at Rip Curl for example where, “in terms of SKUs, we decided to focus on what we do best, leading to a smaller but more accurate range. Brice Maumet Rip Curl Product Manager – Men Surfwear. In the design team at …Lost, they’ve decided to simplify the spec to a maximum by concentrating on “everything stretchy, comfortable and durable”.

The segmentation of each line will happen naturally in shops and on time, sometimes following four distinct delivery periods for the coming fall/winter 16/17 collection. This trend aims to target the flagships of each category to use them as best as possible elsewhere. The result is that collections are coherent, lookbooks are simplified and orders are taken more easily…

CONCLUSION
The harsh conditions braved by the action sports business don’t seem to have quelled the motivation or creativity of those who live it. The outdoors (as for streetwear) seems like a development avenue full of hope with nothing to prove when it comes to boardsports’ legitimacy, whether it’s in the mountains, in town centres or on the old continent’s most isolated reefs.

Bolstered by the growing resolve of the people who make up our industry, the market is emerging from this transitional period successfully – tenacity in the face of the elements, in life and in work, which is bewildering to outsiders.