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That’s inspiration. On a wall.
Barbara fashion company, Art of Craft), is responsible for resurrecting the SeaVees brand – a brand that lay dormant for almost 40 years. Let me bring you up to speed: Rubber company B. F. Goodrich initially launched the brand in 1964, introducing the casual, California-inspired shoe to the market with ads in Playboy throughout the decade. The company was later sold to Converse in 1969. In 1971, Converse had a monopoly on the U.S. shoe market and since SeaVees remained a small-scale brand, they were forced to shut it down. During the seven-year run, SeaVees had great impact on fashion and changed the way the men’s footwear market thought of a casual-style shoe. In the 1960s, men’s footwear was limited to work shoes (think wing tips, cap toes, loafers and saddle shoes) and gym shoes – those you would never wear around casually because they were, well, your gym shoes. Tiller proclaims, “I always say SeaVees is a pioneer in the casual coastal lifestyle, because no one had done this before.” With Tiller at the helm, SeaVees has brought forth the signature “Authentic California” vibe to major fashion companies, collaborating and designing special edition shoes for Gap, Barneys New York and most recently, Hollister, a division of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand. SeaVees is not only back where it started, it is beyond. With all this national appeal, isn’t it hard not to “blow up” and become an instantly huge brand? Tiller affirms, “Whenever you take a brand that has the history of SeaVees that went away for so long and you’re lucky enough to relaunch it, there’s a sense of responsibility to grow it the right way and do it the right way this time. This isn’t some ‘quick burn’ that we’re looking to be as big as we can be overnight. It’s a really controlled, healthy and smart growth so this brand can live to see its next 50th anniversary.” This year marks the half-decade anniversary of the brand’s inception, and the company is more than happy to celebrate its roots and spread a little love in
the process. They’ve created The Legend Series, in which they partner with “living legends” and “legends in the making,” people (and companies) who share the same timeless aesthetic of mid-century California style. Iconic surfer and shaper Reny Yater is the first partnership in the series. Proceeds from the (Reny-selected) Hermosa Plimsoll Standard shoe and limited-edition Yater longboard are donated to the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara, Reny’s charitable donation of choice. “Some of (our partners), people like Reny Yater, our younger consumer may or not be aware of. For us, it’s a really cool way to introduce and elevate him, almost in a tribute manner and make him more relevant to the younger consumer by saying, ‘You should know him, he is a legend in the industry and you should know him.’” Next up is L.A.-based T-shirt company Sol Angeles. So, the legends continue... I ask Steven where he sees the brand in five years. After a long, thoughtful pause, he says confidently, “I would love for us to be a global lifestyle brand that is inspirational and very true to who we are. That we’ve held our quality and we’ve been true to the early adopter who discovered us in the beginning. That we’ve turned into their brand and they still love us. I know we’re building something that is universal in its appeal and filling in this long shadow we’ve cast. I hope the brand, with its heritage and the team we’ve built, will fill in the shadow (of expectation) we’ve cast. That would be extremely gratifying.” The SeaVees message runs deeper than stories of the past, present and future. It defines what has brought many of us and will bring many more to The Golden State. A chance for renewal, a place to enjoy life and, most importantly, an opportunity to turn our California dreams into reality – in a sweet pair of shoes to help lead the way.
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by gian-carlo menotti
consul friday
apr
25 7:30pm sunday
apr
27 2:30pm tickets
1993-2013
the granada theatre info: 899–2222 / operasb.org
photo: Kevin Steele / location: MUNICIPAL WINEMAKERS
1993-2013
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