Candy Harris on new role, state of women's market

Candy Harris. Photo by Elaine Lee Photography.

Candy Harris, one of the most influential women in the action sports industry, is moving on from Billabong for an expanded role at Stance, in addition to working on consulting projects.

She spoke with us about the changes, why she is making them, and shares her thoughts on the state of the women’s market.

Candy is the third former Billabong Women’s leader who is no longer associated with the brand. Lead designer Mandy Fry left for Volcom and the job of former Billabong Women’s National Sales Manager Angi Broberg was eliminated.




I hear there are some changes going on with you? Can you fill us in?

After an amazing 12 years with Billabong I’m embarking on a new chapter.  I spent the last year consulting with Billabong in a global capacity and at the same time was fortunate to have the rare opportunity to help launch the women’s division at Stance.  It was a unique situation to be in, working with both an established brand and a start up division at the same time. You learn a lot about yourself in those situations and find out what makes you happy and inspired. 

For me there is an enthusiasm that comes with people that have taken the risk to start something new. It is powerful energy to be around and the momentum and morale of the group makes you feel like anything is possible.  I like that they dream big and are nimble to make great ideas a reality.

What is your new role at Stance?

My role will be VP of Women’s Strategy, essentially overseeing the direction of the women’s division and responsible for linking product, marketing, sales and distribution.  Stance is on fire these days, only three years into it and it’s incredible what the group has accomplished.  I’m really excited to be a part of the team and am looking forward to watching the results of what happens when the brand puts the right resources behind an emerging division.

Are you keeping your consulting business?

Yes.  Outside of Stance, I will consult on projects I am passionate about or that I feel benefit the growth of our Industry.  I will be consulting with GrindMedia on their women’s initiatives, giving them feedback and suggestions on specific projects, as well as continuing to play a role on the SIMA advisory board and emerging brands committee.

Through my own business, Chasing Wonderland, I’ll also be partnering with Amy Sorensen on a new event concept to launch late Spring 2014.  After working together on Design For Humanity over the years we were excited to bring something new to the table and I think we’ve landed on something pretty amazing.

Is it hard to move on from Billabong after so many years or are you ready for new adventures?

Billabong has been a second family for a long time, and I was blessed to get to work with good friends on incredible initiatives that meant a lot to me.  For those reasons there is of course a sadness that comes with the end of an era for me personally. 

At the same time there has also been a lot of change in the past six months as the company finds its new path, and as a result the creative environment is much different. 

I have a lot of faith in the talented people that work there and look forward to seeing them regain their strength, but for me the opportunity to focus on Stance was about new beginnings.  The chance to be involved on the ground level of a brand I feel will redefine a category both within and outside of our Industry was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

See Page 2 for Candy’s assessment of the state of the women’s market


What is your assessment of the state of the women’s market at the moment?

I think we’re about to see a lot of movement in the women’s space as brands both big and small are increasing their investment in their women’s divisions.

I feel like the tide is turning and good momentum is coming back in our direction.  Hopefully young brands will keep emerging and will bring with them fresh product categories and new dollars to the retail floor.  On the flip side established brands seem to be investing more money into telling their stories, which could benefit everyone as they have the chance to bring new consumers to our world. 

It’s also going to be interesting to see what the ASP does to improve women’s surfing. There is such an opportunity for them to make a difference for our business by the way they promote the women on tour. The notion that women’s professional surfing has little impact on the business is outdated, mostly because the process by which we measure popularity for a female audience is evolving.

In the past six months we’ve seen Billabong wetsuits make the cover of Vogue and Roxy bring a designer collaboration with DVF to surf shops.  Today’s roster of female tour surfers are not just competition focused, they’ve turned into social media-savvy businesswomen. For example, Laura Enever is now producing her own documentary web series, and Alana Blanchard has upwards of 200,000 more Instagram followers than Kelly Slater.

Women in surfing have influence, period. It’s our job as an industry, and an opportunity for the ASP, to bottle it in a way that makes the most of what we have to offer.

Where will we find you during the upcoming trade show cycle?

I’ll be with the Stance crew at Bread and Butter and the Agenda shows, slinging socks and getting mobbed for the promo.

 

FREE industry news delivered to your inbox daily

You can unsubscribe at any time

Sign up now

You have Successfully Subscribed!