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  A model wears the Quiksilver Girls Edwardian dress at Surf Expo. Photo by Shop-eat-surf.

 

I stopped in to see the new Quiksilver Girls line for fall at Surf Expo, and get an update on QSW, formerly called Quiksilver Women.

 

A model wears a Quiksilver Girls blazer

Quiksilver Girls makes its debut in stores this spring, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Kenna Florie told me the initial sell in went very well and the internal target had been met.

 

Her impression is that retailers are really looking for something fresh and new to put on the floor.

 

While that first spring line had an East Coast/nautical influence, outside designer John Moore of Pencil on Paper Studio turned to San Francisco for inspiration for fall, in particular the outer Sunset neighborhood, and an artist, Serena Mitnik-Miller, who lives there.

 

Quiksilver Girls Sales Rep Missy Kehoe with a Quiksilver Girls sweater.

 

The line features small logos, nice fabrics, lots of denim, including a carpenter skinny, lots of heavy cardigans with interesting design details and several dresses, including three signature ones that will be heavily marketed such as the Edwardian dress.

 

Mitnik-Miller’s artwork is on some of the T’s, and her work and her aesthetic are also integrated into some of the cut-and-sew styles.

 

The fall line has about 100 pieces, and is approximately the same size as the debut spring line.

 

A QSW dress

 

John Moore also designed the QSW fall line and used the same artist as inspiration. The difference is the styles are a bit more sophisticated and some higher end fabrics are used, such as silk.

 

QSW Vice President of Sales Steve Ellingson said Quiksilver Girls will offer QSW a nice bridge on store floors.

 

For the fall line, the styling of QSW is not quite as aggressive as it was in previous seasons, he said, and the pieces are a bit easier to wear. It also has more of a connection to the ocean.

 

Price points have not changed, but are more clearly defined. The opening price points are about 45% of the total style count.

 

The bulk of the line is priced between $38 and $98, with higher prices for silk pieces and a leather jacket.