The new Nike 6.0 x Hurley x Converse store just opened its doors last Wednesday at the Irvine Spectrum, just in time for the spendy atmosphere of black Friday.
Located across
from the Cheesecake Factory, somewhere between Brookstone and the movie theater
megaplex, the store sits on what one Hurley spokesperson called “industry row”
within the massive mall.
Neighbors include Rip Curl, DC, Vans, Active, the
Closet and Quiksilver.
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In spite of the fact that other
action sports apparel shops and department stores at the Spectrum also carry
the same products, the general sense is that there's plenty of business to go
around. These direct retailers, that is, don't necessarily cut into other
stores' sales.
The Irvine Spectrum might just be the most wretched hive of gaudy materialism and waste Orange County has to
offer, making it a top spot for retailers looking to tap into a constant flow
of bored OC spenders dropping their dollars on clothes, caffeine and sugar
faster than greedy gamblers in Vegas. For retailers looking for growth in a
starving economy, the embarrassingly materialistic buzz of the Spectrum must
seem like an oasis in the desert.
The new store certainly carries
an impressive lineup of the best the three-company family has to offer–shoes
you might not easily find elsewhere, Pendleton wool shirts, a large denim
selection and more. The design aesthetic reflects that of the apparel magnates'
shared Costa Mesa offices, incorporating rough, unfinished wood and a pared
down, industrial vibe.
Their other store opened
earlier this year at 225 Forest in Laguna Beach. It, too, is a place that
offers custom designs in a high-end, boutique setting. According to employees,
in fact, 225 “went through kind of an update when [the Spectrum store] opened.”
Now, at both stores, Photoshop is used in conjunction with several printing
techniques to do affordable, custom-designed clothes and shoes.
