RXY

jessica luong

Roxy is a prominent woman’s surf brand created by Quiksilver and is steadily growing as the years go by. This surf brand started when Quiksilver, the brother brand, decided to start a line specifically for women in 1990, which was a gutsy move. Quiksilver is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of surf wear and other sports such as snowboarding. They are well known for their authentic surf clothing for men and wanted to create a line specifically for women and girls so it wouldn’t confuse the style and reputation of the male brand they have already accomplished so far. The idea of creating a surf line for women started as the female surf market needed more recognition for their hard work and achievements in the surf competitions. Quiksilver thought that creating a women’s surf company would be a great opportunity considering it has been untouched at the time. Luckily, the occasion worked out as a huge opportunity for upcoming female surfers that were starting to bloom in their surfing career and deserved to be recognized. Just like it’s brother brand that was born in the water, Roxy started

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Roxy’s logo

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out with a swimwear line that debuted in the late summer of 1990 and reached immediate success. By the next year, Roxy introduced a new line for sportswear and also had immediate success, with sales of over $1 million (“Roxy: Help Desk”). The ever-growing company gained attention by retailers and females alike with the fact that Roxy offers an authentic women’s line of surf wear. By 1993, Roxy’s ever-popular logo was born, which was a heart-shaped crest adapted from their brother brand’s recognizable Quiksilver logo.

I love that Roxy’s logo is interesting to look at from far away and when viewing up close. The natural shape of the logo is visually pleasing to the eye and has

an interesting shaped heart that is very distinguished and different. The logo used most is a light blue heart-shaped crest that consists of two Quiksilver logos reflected, giving it the famous heart-shaped crest. Many people may not realize that the clever logo consists of two Quiksilver logos that created the heart-shape until someone mentions it. This is also similar to the way FedEx designed their logo with a secret arrow hidden between the “E” and “X” in the name.

Roxy Quiksilver

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Although the FEDEX logo is simply a sans serif typeface, the cleverness in creating a hidden arrow in the name is endearing. These little design deceptions show customers the quirky wit that went into creating logos that are designed. Critical concepts help designers and artists alike in creating ambiguity in design and art. The fact that Quiksilver’s logo fits into a heart-shaped when being reflected makes the Roxy logo very charming and fun. Roxy’s logo definitely got my attention after realizing that the logo was simply derived from two Quiksilver logos being reflected into a heart.

Roxy uses the logo in many different ways, such as placing the heart-shaped crest inside of a circle as the letter “O” in Roxy. Their signature logo that they use is placing the Roxy logo inside the word “Roxy” as a substitution of the letter “O.” They also use the heart-shaped crest placed inside of a circle as the brand’s icon when using it on merchandise and advertisement. Another way of their design was turning the “X” into a four-petal representation of a flower. I believe that the heart-shaped crest

Roxy Surfboard

Roxy snowboards

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placed within a blue circle helps the logo establish a central point. Viewers are not preoccupied by anything other than a simple logo inside of a circle. Its focal point is directly in the center of the logo with a pleasing color of blue that helps remind you of their surf brand. Women and girls of all ages can recognize the logo, as Roxy is easily recognizable for its vivid color clothing and style.

Roxy has more than succeeded in setting out an example of the Roxy and Quiksilver’s 1990 Annual Report of “Fun, Bold, Athletic, Daring, and Classy” (Roxy: Help Desk). Their clothes and brand certainly reflect off of their surfing roots, motto and design. As Roxy manages to keep their clothes feminine and flexible, it has made an incredible influence to their designs to stay classy and fun. Curvilinear lines and circles differentiate the brand to other surf companies and influence many of the clothing designs that Roxy carries. Their products range from accessories, eyewear, footwear, watches, backpacks, bags, jewelry,

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snow wear pieces, and bedroom necessities. “Roxy is split among three size categories: Teenie Wahine, sizes 4 to 6x; Roxy Girl, sizes 7 to 16, and Roxy, junior sizes 1 to 13” (Jones). Just recently, Roxy launched a new active wear line in Summer 2009, Roxy Athletix, for a slightly older demographic that goes to the gym. They made this line to get the older demographic to getting into a habit of the fitness world with their more fashion-forward design. Athletix is expected to ship four collections each year for a total of eight deliveries as the clothes will still have a sense of prints, colors and graphics used in Roxy’s other collections (Barajas). Roxy Athletix has it’s own mature designs and fit to their older demographic to please their needs of comfortable and cute clothing for the gym or exercise.

One day on the beach, the Roxy crew watched the surf as they came upon an idea of making women’s board shorts. With Roxy’s fit and flexible women’s board shorts that still managed to be feminine, it was an innovation that forever changed the surf market for women. Along with the board shorts innovation, it became a huge trend among the surf community along with Roxy and women’s

Roxy athletix sportswear

Roxy boardshorts

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roxy jam surf festival

surfing. Suddenly, everyone loved the brand for what they represented and their various line of products for girls of all ages. I like that Roxy created a variety of product lines for girls and women of all ages and demographics to relate to. “Roxy is Quiksilver’s fastest-growing brand, accounting for thirty-two percent of company revenues” (Jones). Just as Roxy’s audience grew, so has its product line ranging from accessories, footwear, sports wear, and boards. Their Roxy Girl line, targeted for girls ages seven to sixteen, fits great for the age range as for the clothing and style. There is also a product line for babies and infants called Teenie Wahine. I have personally seen this product line in person and think that the clothes fit their target audience really well, including the parents and adults that will be purchasing the products. Even when the product line varies in age groups, their logo remains the same with the different variations between the pink and light blue logos.

Just like their logos, Roxy establish their fun, surf lifestyle into their magazine advertisements and surf contest promotion advertisements. The advertisements are colorful and organic with several shapes and patterns that work well together. The style used in each of their magazine

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advertisements influences my approach to graphic design and problem solving. Because of my love of Hawaii, surfing and the water, Roxy showcases all of those longings in one brand. The atmosphere around Roxy’s magazine advertisements, surf competition promotion advertisements, and store has a strong sense of surfing lifestyle that they intend to share with their loyal surfers. There have been several instances that inspired me to create more designs just by observing all of Roxy’s clothing, brand, logo, designs, and product line. Their choice of colors for posters and advertisements include warm tones, such as red, orange, and yellow to grab the audiences’ attention. The vibrant colors of the red, yellow, and orange keep the posters dynamic and lively. Since the advertisements for Roxy’s surf competitions are mainly during the summer, the warm colors also help reflect the audience’s perspective of the warm summer season.

Roxy had its first debut at The Girl’s Rule Show in

Roxy m

agazine a

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1996 at New York Fashion Week, which was also the same year the brand was nominated for an award. They were nominated for The “California Rising Star Award” for design and excellence. In 1999, while Roxy was still expanding their product line even further, the brand knew they still had more room to expand. The brand started expanding their surf contests from California to countries including Australia, Asia, Thailand, and Fiji, just to name a few. Surached Mungthong, General Manager of QS Retail Thailand the sole distributor in Thailand states the main purpose of holding the second Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2010 is to “expose this genre of sport to a wider public, while act as a stage for Thai surfers to practice their skill in international standard. Announcing that surfing in Thailand is possible during June to October of every year is part of the intention to help enhance the tourism in the low season as well” (Phyket E-Magazine). Expanding their surf competitions to other countries has also helped the brother and sister brand receive more recognition and market audience. The recognition by other competitor brands or market audience can help the brand grow as they are being exposed to the public around the world.

By the time the 80s came around, Quiksilver was

quiksilver logo

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already selling their brand line in Japan as well as their product lines were being brought to Europe. “Through the 90s and into the 21st century, Quiksilver and Roxy solidified their brand authority in markets all over the globe. Quiksilver shops have become key retail models around the world and can be seen in the fashion districts of Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Moscow” (“About Quiksilver”). In 1997, Roxy opened their first freestanding store in Hawaii and another freestanding store located in Southern California’s South Coast Plaza in 2000. I have been to a couple of Roxy stores and love the surfing lifestyle of their store when you from the time you look inside the store. They’re stores is decorated with their recognizable

heart-crested heart logo and surf inspired clothing. Roxy retail chains are now featured all over the world, offering a taste of Roxy’s lifestyle to girls all over the world. Roxy offers a variety of styles that any person can enjoy the surfing lifestyle even without being in the water.

Roxy magazine ad

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Roxy magazine ad

From the exterior of the store, Roxy’s notable blue logo is visibly seen above the entrance to the store with its infamous light blue icon. When walking into the store, there are hints of surfing elements, such as Roxy surfboards and wood-like panels, which decorate the store. It is nicely lit with bright lights and upbeat, relaxing music. The Roxy logo and trademark can be found throughout the interior of the store as decorations, such as on side of the clothing rack, wall, ceiling, posters, and decorative. Large photographs and posters of famous female surfers are displayed along the interior walls of the store to recognize and exhibit their team riders. Roxy also displays their advertisements, such as girls in bathing suits swimming underneath the water, throughout the store. Clothing and accessories are separated according to their departments and are color coordinated by selection. Clothing throughout the store incorporate the consistency of

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Roxy’s curvilinear designs as well as bright and rectilinear designs for their quirky and trendy customers.

Roxy is now a $400 million lifestyle brand that offers products to girls in every aspect of their lives, whether its surfing, snowboarding, or just leading an active lifestyle. Girls can enjoy wearing Roxy in and out of the water, on land, and just about anywhere. Roxy keeps up with seasons as they come and go, as well as keeping up with the fashion-forward girls who like to stay in style no matter the weather. Just like their motto, the brand exudes “Daring, confident, naturally beautiful, fun, alive: Roxy” (“Roxy: Help Desk”). There is a charm to Roxy that has me intrigued and appealed to the brand and their designs. Throughout the years since the brand started, Roxy has stayed true to their Annual Report that they entitled early in the beginning.

Roxy magazine ad

sources

internet

news

magazine

“Roxy: Help Desk.” Roxy Clothing and Accessories for Girls Who Love Surf, Snowboard, Music & Fashion. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://www.roxy.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?display=corp&subdisplay=about&clickid=footer_txt>.

“About Quiksilver.” Quiksilver. Quiksilver. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. <http://www.quiksilver.tw/tw/tw/his-tory.html>.

Jones, Rosa A. “Quiksilver, Roxy Juice Up Retail.” Wwd (4 Aug. 2004). Print.

Phyket E-Magazine. “Quiksilver & Roxy Hosts Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2010.” 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2010.

Barajas, Erin. “Roxy Athletix.” California Apparel News (29 May 2009). Print.

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