PacSun on the Right Track?!

Well, I never would have thought that I would ever do a post on the mainstream retailer, PacSun. In fact, to me, PacSun is one of the reasons why a lot of cool brands from LA and Orange County sell out. However, I do have to give them credit where credit is deserved. In this case, it comes in the form of their Holiday photo shoot that was recently done. I must say, they are on the right track in the sense that they are trying to differentiate themselves in the commercial action sports/lifestyle retailer landscape.

With the surge of action sports retailers catering to the mass public, which we have seen in the past decade, it has put more companies on the map than good. We have seen some of the best grassroots companies born and bred from California sell out to the mainstream mass market. For instance, take RVCA. They used to be a boutique company that was only worn by core surfers, musicians, and skaters. Now, I wince at the demographics that they have targeted. Moreover, lets look at Modern Amusement. Definitely the most innovative and unique company that existed in the early to mid 2000s. Now, after the split up of Jeff Yokoyama and Mossimo, we have had to endure the sell off to none other than our friends at PacSun. The point is, you can see my feeling about these types of mainstream retailers. They are all the same, and that’s what bugs me. If one of them would just be a little different. Flex those creative muscles, show me something new, give me a reason to like you. Well, after PacSun’s most recent Holiday photo shoot, they have given me a reason to like them for a little bit.

So, lets take you behind the scenes of their latest photoshoot. To give some background, a small group of friends “headed out to a vast span of desert to indulge in the winter madness, California style.” With a subtle blend of summer staples and fresh winter add-ons, they ventured through the mountainous terrain of Palm Springs. It was 115 degrees in the desert, and models were wearing parkas and beanies (I hope they weren’t bitchy). Shots were taken in the day, at night, on mountains, in cars, etc. The photo filters and lighting turned out fantastic. It’s almost looking at a designer clothing company’s look-book. The photo shoot has it all. Risky, colorful, vibrant, different. Props to you PacSun. Nice Job. Check out some of the photos below: