Schillereff on new Element Emerald Collection

Today we talk with Element Founder and President Johnny Schillereff about Element’s new Emerald Collection, including why it was created, the target market and the target distribution.

The Emerald Collection has recently arrived in stores.

Why did you start the Element Emerald Collection and how has it been doing?

There’s been a very positive response.

It was a natural path, as Element has matured, so have our interests, taste levels and choices, but the love, passion and appreciation for our rich history has only grown stronger.

From this came the concept of creating a collection that embodies these individuals and ideals, all the while inspiring and making a positive impact on our world. Our goal with the Element Emerald Collection was to create a sophisticated, environmentally friendlier line.

With so many brands doing lines for older consumers, was this your answer to do a line that was more in line with what you would wear? What makes this line special?

There’s a void in the market, as most eco-friendly clothing lacks relevant, fashion forward design. We are all growing up and our tastes levels have evolved. I’d much rather go into a retailer who’s nurtured our industry, than another retailer to find premium, steezy, fashion. Especially since our industry has been instrumental in defining many high fashion trends.

In addition, I think with the Internet, the youth has greater visibility and a stronger appetite for higher fashion.

Since the line has higher price points, there were fewer limitations and more freedom to explore detail and increase environmentally friendlier materials and styles.

The line consists of apparel as well as a full range of casual footwear.

What shops carry the line?

Key retailers include Fred Segal, Lizard Lounge in Portland, Chicago’s Belmont Army, Wright’s in Manhattan Beach, The Bunker in Kansas City, Bloomingdale’s, Stade California, Jack’s, and Swell.com.

How big did you go with the line in terms of distribution?

We limited distribution initially to targeted shops that can tell the story, and speak to the Emerald customer.

See Page 2 for more about Element Emerald

Did you get a lot of press initially when the line launched?

Yeah. We had an incredible response. The Element brand, logo and name translate well to a high-end customer.

I’d like to think individuals interested in Element tend to be more open and active-minded, so people were excited to see us take this direction. We are also an established brand, so the customer who has grown up and been loyal to Element was excited to see the collection.

The Element Emerald launch at Saturdays Surf in Soho.

We did an event to launch the line in July at Saturdays Surf in SoHo. They are a great example of the audience Emerald speaks to. They have a great appreciation for the surf and skate culture and being connected to the natural world.

Especially as core participants — there’s no question as you evolve, so do your taste levels, interest and awareness with other genres and lifestyles beyond just board sports — such as the environment, art, music and fashion. Emerald lets us explore and expand our reach with these customers.

At the Saturdays event, the collection was showcased in their courtyard outdoors, which translated well with the urban-organic vibe the product represents. We had a huge turn out, and were ecstatic with the positive feedback from the media and tastemakers in the New York fashion scene. It translated with a surge of coverage from notable sources such as GQ. This was new territory for us, so to make that kind of positive impact in the fashion capital of the country was huge.

What’s new?

Looking forward to 2012, we have developed an Advocate program that is built around legendary photographer Brian Gaberman and well-respected artist Thomas Campbell.

Why the move to work with artists and photographers rather than just athletes?

There are countless creative individuals beyond actual athletes who have equally contributed to shaping our industry’s rich history and culture, and I think Emerald is a great platform to celebrate that. These guys are amazing examples of people who have done incredible things for our industry, and this is a great way to highlight them.

It’s not just about act of the sport or being competitive — it’s about all the creative contributions people have made beyond that, from other perspectives of the lifestyle.

What’s the marketing behind the line?

Besides the launch, we’ve been organic about the way we are seeding product and approaching our customers and retailers. By word of mouth, Emerald is already catching fire. Our sales and distribution strategy will be key.

Any plans to expand distribution? Domestically and/or internationally?

The Emerald Collection will be sold domestically and internationally within select current accounts and specialty boutiques. It’s not exclusive; we’re simply making sure stores that carry Emerald can clearly tell the story and speak to its audience.

Anything else?

It’s been a great opportunity to have less boundaries and more freedom when it comes to what we are designing, the attention to detail and environmentally friendlier materials. The Emerald Collection has also just given us a chance as we are growing up and evolving, to create product for ourselves internally as well as externally… It’s been an amazing creative process, and really fun.

Element has boundless potential. We are a brand with a purpose and deep roots. We can and will do much more to tell our story beyond skateboarding. I always say that Element is a positive lifestyle brand, with skateboarding at its roots.