IRVINE, Calif., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- La Jolla Group announced today
that the company is opening the doors to its first O'Neill Clothing flagship
store, located in Anaheim, CA in the popular Anaheim GardenWalk shopping
district. The 3,350 square foot store is a premier retail location that
displays the O'Neill brand message and features the latest O'Neill clothing,
footwear, accessory and wetsuit lines. The O'Neill GardenWalk store integrates
cutting edge technology and uses many unique ecologically friendly materials,
as well as explores a collaborative approach to the design and shopping
experience for the O'Neill consumer.
"In designing O'Neill GardenWalk, we took the vision Jack O'Neill had in
the 50's when he coined the term 'surf shop' by opening his first store in
Santa Cruz, and molded it to the 21st century," said Toby Bost, Chief
Executive Officer of the La Jolla Group. "Every aspect of the store from the
surf hut, to the wave structure, to the reclaimed wood and fixtures, O'Neill
GardenWalk captures the heritage of the brand and showcases the evolution of
more than 50 years of product innovation. The store is a definitive display of
authentic surf retail and a story that can not be replicated by any other
brand."
The interior design of the O'Neill GardenWalk store is a product of
Verdego Design. O'Neill's authentic surf roots, and the core essence behind
the brand founded by Jack O'Neill in Santa Cruz, CA, served as the inspiration
for the stores' design concept. The wood wall panels, floor fixtures and
frames within the store are made from recycled and reclaimed wood materials.
"By incorporating visually interesting and creative elements, we wanted to
produce a shopping environment that was the ideal platform to showcase the
depth and breadth of the O'Neill collections and heighten exposure for the
brand," said Erik Forsell, Vice President of Brand Development for the La
Jolla Group. "This store offers shoppers the chance to experience O'Neill's
50-year heritage in one of the top shopping destinations in California."
FEATURES OF THE STORE:
The central area of the store is known as "The Hut," where the structure
and design references the original Surf Shop opened by Jack O'Neill. This
feature creates a central area in the store with an eco resin ceiling giving
the feeling of being underwater. Frames that flank the hut display historical
images of the brand, as well as images of O'Neill team riders.
An element within the store that captures the surf essence of the brand is
called "The Wave Wall." This wall feature forms and curls over, giving
shoppers the feeling of standing under a peeling wave. The "Wave Wall" is
backed by a large underwater image of a kelp forest supporting the ideals of
the Jack O'Neill Sea Odyssey and underwater education programs.
Other surf and ocean inspired elements within the store are: the custom
fitting rooms walls and cushions which are made of O'Neill neoprene wetsuit
material, lamps that made from thousands of drinking straws and embody sea
urchins, and the cash wrap that is covered in custom hand painted O'Neill
images.
The O'Neill GardenWalk Grand Opening celebrations will be taking place
over the next several weeks, visit www.oneill.com to be up-to-date on all
store events, promotions and happenings. Store hours will be Monday-Saturday
10:00 AM - 9 PM. For more information on Anaheim GardenWalk, please visit
www.anaheimgardenwalk.com.
Photos of O'Neill GardenWalk are available upon request.
O'Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand, was
founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable
passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game.
Pioneering the world's first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a
way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern
California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz
soon after.
About La Jolla Group
La Jolla Group Inc, a privately funded corporation, was formed in 1992
with the acquisition of the O'Neill Clothing USA license from Jack O'Neill and
family in Santa Cruz, CA. Based on the successful formula applied to O'Neill
Clothing, La Jolla Group has expanded its portfolio by acquiring the licenses
for Lost Clothing, Metal Mulisha, and Rusty.
For more information on the La Jolla Group brands, visit
oneill.com, metalmulisha.com, rusty.com, and lostenterprises.com
SOURCE La Jolla Group Inc
Shelley Sheppard, O'Neill, +1-949-428-2891, +1-310-936-0885 (cell),
ssheppard@lajollagroup.net
