Roark Revival expands to grow

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Feb 1, 2016

Roark Revival expands to grow. The Californian brand, whose identity is based on travel, encounters and discovery, has announced the recruitment of Mark Tinkess, former Vice-President of RVCA (the Billabong group), as Roark Revival's new President. He will supervise company operations and brand development, reporting to the founder and CEO, Ryan Hitzel.

The appointment further boosts Roark Revival's structure, after the company recently announced a strategic partnership with the La Jolla group (O'Neill's textile licensee in the USA), whose mission is providing services and facilities to foster business development. La Jolla has become a shareholder in Roark Revival and is known for its operational expertise in sourcing, supply chain management and for its relationship with distribution networks. This will allow Roark Revival to reach a new level, having expressed ambitions for international expansion. In 2015 Roark Revival entrusted its European distribution to the Pilot Fish company created by Arnaud Gaillard, which has also acquired a small shareholding in the brand.

Roark Revival began operating in 2010, and has grown around a strong identity based on travel, adventure and discovery. Its founder, formerly with Volcom, drew inspiration from surfers' yearning for freedom, adding also a cultural touch to the brand. Roark Revival's seasonal collections are inspired by more or less exotic destinations, and its product launches feature stories built around them. This approach led the brand's designers to travel from the California coast to Bali, to the discovery of Iceland and to encounters with people from Havana, Cuba. For their latest collections, they took to the Himalayan trails by motorcycle.