After noticing a dearth of desirable towels in the market, Kyle Spencer set out to build upon the opportunity he saw in the towel category.
Partnering with industry marketing and design veterans Dario Phillips and Wylie Von Tempsky, the trio established Slowtide. Based in California and Hawaii, Slowtide is “inspired by all bodies of water and a love of art,” and features towels with uniquely dyed fabrics, prints and designs from collaborations with artists and photographers.
We spoke with Slowtide Co-Founder Kyle Spencer to learn more about the brand, how they are working to make Slowtide stand out, and what they see for the future.
Who are the partners in the brand and what did they do before?
Kyle Spencer: The founding partners are Dario Phillips, Wylie Von Tempsky and myself. Dario was Americas Marketing Director at Quiksilver and Global Marketing Director at Huf; Wylie was a Head Designer at Billabong and Nike SB, and I was a Designer at Hurley and Design Director at DC Shoes.
Why did you pick the towel category?
Kyle Spencer: It was born out of necessity. After being fed up with the boring towels in our closet, my wife and I tried to find cool towels. After going to a bunch of shops and some extensive web browsing, we realized that no one was creating unique towels and the idea was born.
I mentioned the idea to Wylie and Dario and we all had that “aha moment.” We did some reconnaissance and saw a huge opportunity to grow a category that had somehow been overlooked, but is an essential whether you’re at the beach, pool, gym, lake, shower…wherever there is water.
How are you trying to make the brand stand out?
Kyle Spencer: The art is what makes the towels stand out from anything else in the market. Some of the art we create ourselves, and we’ve also collaborated with like-minded artists and brands Mark Oblow, Tyler Spangler, Stussy and Banks to name a few.
We also have a great network of friends that are amazing surfers, skaters, models and photographers who we’ve brought on as brand ambassadors. We will continue to tell stories around our towel crew and the many locations in which our products are enjoyed.
What kind of stores are you targeting in what channels? What are some of your best accounts?
Kyle Spencer: When we launched in October of last year, we partnered with key influential retailers like Almond Surfboards, Thalia Surf Shop, Aloha Beach Club, Mollusk, General Admission, Alchemy Works and some others.
Honestly, these shops are just our friends and our favorite stores so it was only natural for us to establish the brand in these shops.
We’ve since been expanding into a variety of distribution channels like resort, yoga/fitness, women’s swim, lifestyle, gift, as well surf. Some of our best U.S. accounts are Sun Diego, United Arrows, The Modern Hotel and Local Motion to name a few.
How did you finance the business?
Kyle Spencer: The business was initially self-funded by the three of us, but after an overwhelming response after our first season, we brought on some strategic partners to help with capital and advise on long-term growth. We’ve been meeting with other potential strategic investors and are looking at bringing on a few more in the near future.
What’s your biggest challenge right now?
Kyle Spencer: I would say our biggest challenge is educating the retailers on the category and the potential it has for growth.
We’re fortunate there have been companies that have sort of paved the way of creating new, exciting product categories in the surf and lifestyle markets like Nixon, Stance and Herschel.
Where do you hope the brand is in five years?
Kyle Spencer: Expanding into new markets and further growing our international distribution. We feel there is endless opportunity in the towel category, so we’re laser focused on building this until Slowtide owns the towel market.
