Vissla May Well Be The Most Creative Company In Surf

There’s nothing worse than idleness, and you could never accuse Vissla of lying dormant.

They’ve always got something on the WIP board, creating ranges to compliment Thomas Campbell’s movies, taking their eclectic team to the furthest reaches of the surfing atmosphere and putting time, effort and money into trying to create a culture around their brand. Can’t knock that. The latest venture from the Vissla collective is a collab with renowned New York visual artist and closet surfer, Jason Woodside.

Offices breed cynicism, and it’s easy to sit there and poke holes in whatever comes across the desk. However, cynicism’s a most unattractive trait, and you’d got to give credit where it’s due to those who’re trying to do something different. Jason Woodside’s an established name in the commercial art world, and Vissla has inducted him into their Creators & Innovators network that already contains, as well as world class, diverse surfers such as Derrick Disney, Bryce Young and Cam Richards, hefty names like Thomas Campbell, Jeff McCallum, and Jay Nelson. Seeing as he’s a master with colour and patterns, it seemed only logical to get Jason Woodside to lend his talents to a range of tees and trunks.

Jason painting a car wearing a tee he painted also.

Vissla isn’t afraid of a little colour, and that’s just fine with us. Jason’s taken his typical pattern work, and instead of plastering it all over them, decided to subtly feature it throughout. The results are the perfect mix of under-stated and pop, and the Woodside in black is a particular favourite. With the black and white trim, combined with the contrast of Jason’s pastel patterns running through the midsection, it’s the perfect solution for those who like the look of black in the surf, but are tired of the monotone trunks we’ve all been sporting for some time.

Crowd favourite, The Woodside, in black.

The tees are tasteful and wearable. Jason and Vissla avoided the temptation to splatter them with colour and pattern to the detriment of anyone wanting to wear them, and instead have subtly used Jason’s work to create a pair of pocket tees perfect for the cafe or the bar. When artists and brands collide, there’s nothing worse than when pre-made art’s lazily slapped on garments and shipped out the door. The Vissla/Jason Woodside range is the antithesis of this approach. It’s everything that’s good when artists collaborate with an open-minded member of the rag trade. 

In range in its entirety.

Come browse the entire Vissla made for Jason Woodside collection here.

And if you’re in Los Angeles next Thursday join us for the launch party. Details below.