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  Oäó»Neill opens its first Hong

Press release:

23 October 2013, Hong Kong – O’Neill, the original Northern Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand is proud to announce the opening of the first Hong Kong flagship store in LCX, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The 1,800-sqr foot store is located in the zone famous for fashion and lifestyle. This unique store features elements inspired by founder Jack O’Neill’s house in Santa Cruz California. These elements mixed with deep natural tones, emphasize the O’Neill brand and its values of authenticity, progression, unconventional spirit and joy. With white and wood as the key colour tones, the white tiled wall sits well against the stone grey flooring, adding a rawness and originality to the space. Tiled walls with the Original logo and metal wall units with rear lighting, are both examples of where authenticity meets progression. The distinct shades of wood on display and warm lighting bring style and simplicity to the overall design. The combination of materials utilised for this store give the customer a feeling of Santa Cruz and a great shopping experience. One could picture themselves in the heart of Jack’s hometown close to the Santa Cruz boardwalk.

“The Original Since 1952” Heritage and Art Exhibition

When Jack O’Neill first pioneered the world’s first wetsuit and opened the first surf shop in 1952, he set the wheels in motion for O’Neill to become not only the first name in the water, but also one of the most forward-thinking and innovative brands in the game. For more than 60 years Jack O’Neill has stayed true to the lifestyle he loves, Jack’s perseverance and the love for exploring and enjoying nature, propelling O’Neill to become the industry pioneer.

The Original Since 1952 heritage and art exhibition will be held to celebrate the official launch of O’Neill flagship store Hong Kong and spotlighting Jack’s boundless vision. This creative showcase will feature artwork from overseas such as Thomas Campbell, Geoff McFettridge, Mark Penxa, Jim Philips Jnr etc. These and other works were showcased as part of the 2012 Innovation Art Tour and have travelled the globe.

We are proud to have as part of this exhibition 10 local artists. From the renowned artist Simon Birch, to influential artist Jay FC, photographer Paul Tsang, member of the band LMF Prodip Leung, graphic designer Rex Koo, singer/songwriter Ryan Hui, Sam Chan@ Outsignlab, top surfer/artists Blackboy and Sai Sai, and singer songwriter Yukilovey. They have each created their own interpretation in the form of Jack O’Neill, celebrating his love of innovation and pioneering.

In addition to the incredible artworks, the exhibition will feature innovative wetsuits from 6 decades, as well as heritage art, advertising and the evolution of the brand.

In celebration of the launch, two of O’Neill’s world class athletes will travel from overseas to appear. “Big Wave” surfer and adventurer Mark Mathews and” Snowboarding Superstar” Seb Toots will travel from Australia and Canada respectively to be part of this huge occasion.

Ten local artists, photographers, designers and surfers share “The Original” spirit

About “The Original Since 1952” Exhibition

“The Original Since 1952” will be exhibiting at the first O’Neill Hong Kong store at LCX and LCX Oasis 1 from 23 Oct 2013 to 3 November 2013. All local artists’ work will be up for auction in mid-November (details to be announced soon). The money raised will be donated to Hong Kong Clean Up and AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation, in continuation of O’Neill’s vision.

About O’Neill – “The First Name in the Water”

Jack O’Neill invented the first wetsuit in the 50s; he later opened the doors to the world’s very first surf shop on the San Francisco great highway in 1952. He moved the surf shop to Santa Cruz, California in 1959 – home to some of the best cold-water waves. Continuing to provide innovative products and breaking new frontiers, Jack was soon rewarded with soaring sales, and O’Neill became “The first name in the water”.

O’Neill’s passion for sports has made his business expand from surf wear to snow wear and youth lifestyle brand. Today, O’Neill stores can be found in most major cities – USA, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. This Autumn/Winter 2013, the brand is proud to announce the opening of the first retail store in LCX, Hong Kong, bringing their originality and innovative products to Hong Kong. This is part of a broader strategy of launching the brand in China and accelerating growth in Asia.

About AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation (ACE)

Founded by Ms. Sharon Kwok in March 2013, AquaMeridian Conservation & Education (ACE) Foundation is a registered non-profit organization with a mission to engage the public in conservation issues and environmental protection activities. ACE is presenting school talks, seminars, and conducting educational activities throughout Hong Kong, as we believe that education is the key to our planet’s sustainable future. Please contact info@aqua-meridian.comfor more information.

About The Hong Kong Clean Up

Having engaged over 100,000 citizens in cleaning up over 350,000 kg of trash and now in its 13th year, Ecovision’s Hong Kong Cleanup Challenge (HKcleanup.org) is firmly established as a well-loved and vital part of the Hong Kong event landscape. Its aim is to educate, empower and advocate on the subject of waste reduction in support of a cleaner, healthier future for Hong Kong and the planet. For more information, please contact – info@hkcleanup.org