Brand & Flame

Forget everything you know about action sports clothing. A new premium lifestyle brand O’Quinn Clothing — has taken it from the sand and street straight into California’s uber-chic boutiques. “We’re pushing the level of fashion in this market by introducing a higher quality product,” says CEO Dean Quinn.

The company’s modern men’s line features premium t-shirts and thermals that layer into plush cashmere, cable-knit chenille hooded sweaters and raw denim. The look is contemporary cool — but the quality of O’Quinn elevates action sports clothing to an entirely new level.

“These are high-end products,” explains Dale Rhodes, co-partner and VP of Sales and Marketing for O’Quinn. “We add applications like foils and distressed printing to mineral washed t-shirts, thermals and fleece hoods. So you’re getting great perceived value. You’re getting quality.”

A-list stores such as Fred Segal, LASC and Villains in San Francisco carry O’Quinn, as do select upscale surf and skate shops, including ZJ Boarding House, Spyder and CCS. The company is riding a wave of change in the clothing industry as big brands falter and customers diverge from their established routines. Fashionistas now prowl high-end surf shops while voguish surfers shop at swanky boutiques. As Dean Quinn puts it, “Some of the big companies have time running against them; kids don’t want to wear the same brand their father is wearing.”

While price points for O’Quinn are higher than the industry norm, savvy shoppers are willing to pay for that perfect combo of quality and cool. “It used to be unheard of to sell t-shirts for over twenty dollars, but action sports shops are beginning to stock top-quality pieces,” Dean explains.

O’Quinn Clothing was founded in 2006 by Dean Quinn and Dale Rhodes, both of whom have extensive resumes in the action sports industry. Dean worked for 20-plus years with such heavy hitters as Gotcha, Rip Curl, Billabong and Hurley. He left the elite position of Director of Sales for Hurley, a multi-million dollar company, to pursue his own ideas on design and marketing. Dale Rhodes was with Hurley since 2000, working as a Southern California Sales Rep. He began his career in the fashion industry at age 18 as a floor salesman for GUESS.

O’Quinn’s men’s line is currently available in Los Angeles at Fred Segal and LASC, and in San Francisco at Villains, as well as finer surf & skate stores. In 2008, the company will be introducing new lines for juniors. (Not to mention “some things for boardshorts that nobody’s doing.”)