Après Surf

SURF CULTURE TAKES THE CATWALK

How Apres Surf Gives Waveriders Their Own Luxury Lifestyle Brand

To ski or to surf: that is the question. Each sport not only has a broad global appeal and passionate following but also centers an all-consuming lifestyle in constant conversation with fashion, film, art, music, and even gastronomy. Talk to some of my more ski-obsessed friends, who spent almost every day on the slopes this past season, and they’ll tell you that the “après-ski is almost as important as the skiing itself. ” Whether said après-ski involves champagne showers on the deck of Folie Deuce or fireside fondue and a glass of wine, it is synonymous with fashion. Cashmere sweaters and lounge pants. Voluminous fur coats and hats. Neon parkas with brightly patterned goggles. All have an indelible place in the near-mythical après phenomenon that concludes a day on the slopes.

Surf culture has no less powerful a personality…and no less distinct or self-assured a sense of style. However, when one thinks about the beachside gatherings or parties that occur following a day on the waves, few fashion-forward images come to mind. While purporting to not care about fashion is a fashion statement in and of itself, and the designs and aesthetic of boards (much like in the skater community) inspire indisputable passion among their riders, contemporary surf zeitgeist has been generally overlooked by fashion and its critics. That could change with the emergence of Après-Surf, an ambitious new “high-low” brand seeking to establish surf style in the luxury market with a fusion aesthetic that is at once both Californian and distinctly Italian. Make no mistake: this is laidback surfwear, designed for people with a youthful joie de vivre who wish to celebrate that barefoot care-free attitude you’ll find among regulars in Malibu or Huntington Beach. However, Après-Surf's target market is more likely to be lost in the grooves of Mykonos or the Costa Smeralda than at a Bob Marleystyle beach bar. Take a look at its recent promotional campaigns, where hoodies are draped over bottles of champagne at Club 55 and leggy models in oversized board shorts lounge on yachts in Patmos. Of course, most vacationers in such destinations come from Europe’s cultured capitals; thus it’s no surprise to see Paris, Antwerp, and Stockholm plastered across bright shirts and hoodies.

Après-Surf, in its limited collections so far, has seemed to effectively meld American skater sensibilities with urban practicality and a European flair for vibrant color and boho/tribal vibes. One hoodie-style jacket was two-toned in lace and fuschia pink. The orange and yellow text, which I would consider an abomination on most outfits, somehow worked here, injecting a tropical vibe to a cosmopolitan perception of modern masculinity. The knit drawstring it was modeled with, a Marley-esque cornucopia of stripes in red, green, blue, and the aforementioned fuschia, was noteworthy for tassels reminiscent of a dreamcatcher at Nikki Beach. My favorite look was an interpretation of the varsity jacket, a style that of course originated in America but more recently has dominated the streets of Paris. The Après-Surf version was presented in black and neon orange, the sleeves covered in logos and slogans inspired by surfboard decals. Worn over a hoodie, with jeans and hulking black combat boots, it suggests a way to represent the surf lifestyle in a gritty urban environment.

This expansion of said surf lifestyle, into seemingly incongruous markets and locales, is a defining mission of the brand and the unfilled niche that it is best positioned to occupy as it seeks to grow within the fashion industry. That niche need not be limited to one player, however….why not celebrate après surf culture as we do après ski? From Bali to Biarritz, look for this type of brand to pop up among leading surf destinations…and within the luxury sector that frequents them.