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  Yoga mats form the Roxy logo on Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona as part of Roxy's global #RunSUPYoga event. Over 3

Roxy is celebrating 25 years and using the opportunity to focus on the brand’s heritage. Under the direction of a global design team, we’ll see some classic Roxy prints and designs re-emerge, an emphasis on swim, and a continued focus on functional fashion.

Emilie Souvras, Roxy Global Brand Manager, answered some questions for us about what is new for Roxy,  and provided insight into upcoming marketing initiatives, collaborations, and the concept behind the popular Roxy #RunSUPYoga events.

What have been the strongest categories for Roxy as of late?

Emilie Souvras: Within apparel all woven categories did well across all the regions and more specially, soft bottoms. Any kind of soft bottom: shorts, pants, skirts, printed or solid.

In accessories, headwear (hats and caps) is on fire in the U.S. Fitness is increasing a lot and fast in EMEA and APAC. In regards to footwear, our sandals business is very solid.

What have been the biggest changes in the product and/or strategy in the past few years?

Emilie Souvras: In the past few years, the biggest change has been to move from a regional team to a global design and product organization, but our product strategy remains the same. We have a solid foundation: well-known emblematic products, such as our Oceanside Beach pant, that we update each season with strong fresh new colors and patterns.

We also tell stories through our prints to celebrate and call attention to this important component of the Roxy brand.

For Spring 2016 we are inspired by the places we’ve visited in Australia: from Bondi to Byron. We’ve played around with a balance of vibrant and washed tones and a coastal selection of prints.

Each season we choose a floral that represents our position on color, so naturally for Spring 2016 we have chosen a flower native to Australia to be our hero print. It will be placed in all categories and shown across all regions.

Any new initiatives planned for Spring 2016 in product?

Emilie Souvras: In 2016 swim informs everything we do within Roxy. We bring a lot of new details, shapes, and fabrics to swim this season. These key prints created for swim have also been used within apparel, accessories and footwear.

One of our other initiatives in product this season was to focus on our heritage. As a brand with deep roots and a long history, Roxy is ready for retro. Bringing back classic prints, designs and stories from our past and reimagining them in ways that are relevant.

Swim is a competitive category. What niche is Roxy targeting? Any new initiatives in swim?

Emilie Souvras: Swim is definitely a competitive category and the market is moving fast. As I said, in 2016 swim informs everything we do. Obviously, we will keep pushing the POP Surf Collection. When we launched our POP Surf capsule in 2014 it was a success. It challenged us to continue to bring new and fresh ideas, but we are really excited with our 2016 POP Surf line. It is both modern and iconic – it’s really us!

But Roxy is also about functional fashion. We address swim performance in our fitness line through the technical fabrics (Xtralife lycra, neoprene, light neoprene, four-way stretch fabric, technical mesh, etc.), but also by designing shapes with a maximum of comfort, heavy to light support, and always being mindful of fashion forward details.

We also work on functional details such as seamless finishings, waterproof pockets, finger hole for sleeves, etc.

See Page 2 for new Roxy marketing initiatives, and more about #RunSUPYoga events

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What can we expect from Roxy on the marketing front in late 2015/2016?

Emilie Souvras: To round out the back half of the year, you’ll see a bunch of exciting things from Roxy continuing to support the Roxy Ready campaign.

Additional #RunSupYoga events will be added to the tour such as Sydney, Australia, and other smaller, regional events. Roughly 15 events are scheduled to happen in fiscal year 2015 and more are planned for 2016.

We’ll also be launching our campaign around our athletes, “Heart Breakers. Wave Chasers” which showcases the power, beauty, talent and personality of the Roxy team in a really fresh way.

In Snow, you’ll be seeing the Roxy x Biotherm collaboration. We’ve partnered with Biotherm to introduce Enjoy & Care, a new formula that embeds moisture beads into the fabric, allowing you to keep your skin soft and irritation free while you ride.

Partnerships are a key part of the marketing strategy. In 2016, you’ll be seeing Roxy collaborate with several partners, one of which is Courrèges – an iconic, mod designer known for futuristic design. The collection will allow for hi-tech fabrics and detailing blended between fashion and sport styling.

In 2016, Roxy will be launching a whole new campaign that gets back to the heart of what Roxy is all about.  We’ll also be adding a new face to the mix by introducing our new Roxy ambassador, Zoe Cross, into the campaign strategy.

How is the global Roxy design and merchandising team in Europe working with other regions?

Emilie Souvras: Very well! The regions are involved in every aspect of the design process, from the briefs to the final line adoption. The regional product teams, along with retail buyers and sales managers, attend all the key meetings in Europe and they are always pleased to come to France. We also do a lot of video conference calls, and our inboxes are almost full 24 hours a day! Communication around the clock.

The global leaders also travel a lot. I did 10 trips in the U.S. last year for instance, to work with the teams, to shop, and to attend tradeshows. I also traveled to Japan, Australia and other key regions. It is super important to have a strong relationship with our regional partners and a good knowledge of their markets.

The team based in Europe is a melting pot of designers coming from various countries all over the world. The U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Spain just to name a few. There is truly a global influence throughout the line coming from this international group.

And I have to say, that we are super lucky to have a great and talented Global Head of Design, Marie Lauga. Marie has a strong vision for the brand, but she’s also extremely open-minded to any feedback coming from the regional teams.

Can you tell us more about the Roxy #RunSUPYoga events helping to celebrate 25 years of Roxy?

Emilie Souvras: It’s been a great success! So far, we’ve been to Barcelona, Spain; the North Shore of Hawaii; Marseille, France, and Munich, Germany. In Barcelona alone we had over 3,000 girls in attendance and have maxed out registration for every event since. Several more stops are planned for 2015 and into 2016 including Sydney, Australia, and other key locations connected to our brand and our girl.

The event concept is comprised of the cornerstone sports we focus on within the Roxy fitness range: run, water and yoga. It’s an all-women’s event that invites females to experience Roxy’s fun and active lifestyle through sport and music.

So far we’ve gotten a great response from both the media and our fans. The photo of our Roxy heart logo made up of over 1,200 yoga mats on Barceloneta Beach has been shared by so many fans and followers, each showing the love and support they have for the brand.

It’s been a great way to continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary. It showcases exactly what the brand is all about. I think our Roxy athlete and fitness ambassador Torah Bright says it best: “When you get a good group of babes together, there is nothing better.”