The story behind Hurley’s Ramones effort

The folks at Hurley in Costa Mesa are in the midst of several events to promote the company's special Joey Ramone collection. Thursday, there's a party at American Rag CIE at Fashion Island from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

I asked Joe McElroy, Hurley's director of global branding, how the collection came about. It includes boardshorts, hoodies, graphic T-shirts and eyewear and incorporates artwork from albums, tour photos and concert posters. Hurley giving it an exclusive aura by limiting distribution.

Here's what Joe had to say:

Why does Hurley feel connected to the music of the Ramones?

Everyone at Hurley feels connected to the music of the Ramones because we grew up listening to them and seeing them perform live. Hurley has strong roots in music, art, skate and surf so it was only natural to start a collection together with Joey Ramone. Hurley is expanding the work we do with bands and artists and just opened a music studio at our headquarters so stay tuned!

How were you able to use the Ramones name in a special collection?

We did a surfboard/punk rock art show called "Against the Grain" a fews years back and Arturo Vega, the Ramones' creative director, designed a board. From there, he introduced us to the Joey Ramone crew and we started working on designs.

Do you think the Ramones resonate with teenagers today?

The Ramones will always resonate with teenagers because the band has a cool and classic style, and the music is fast, catchy and fun to listen to.

Is the collection going to a specific distribution channel?

We are going to have exclusive distribution at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica and at American Rag in Fashion Island at first, and plan to open limited doors in the near future.