Saturdays Surf NYC, the classy, clean, surf lifestyle brand of high design principles and master craftsmanship this month opened its fourth store (in Kobe, Japan). Incredible growth for guys who started out in late 2009 by opening a wee shop in Crosby St, SoHo, selling boards and wetsuits. Today, Saturdays NYC describe themselves as an international lifestyle brand catering best to those occupied with living, working, and surfing in NYC. Emphasis on the ‘occupied with.’ See, anyone, anywhere, can get on the Saturdays buzz – that relaxed surf lifestyle vibe combined with a luxury aesthetic. Saturdays promise us that the two go hand-in-hand, and their success speaks for itself.

We last spoke to you guys back in 2011 for our New York issue. What’s been going on since then?

We’ve since opened three new locations: a second flagship store in Tokyo, a store in the West Village, and our newest store in Kobe, Japan, which opens this month. This past summer, we also launched our bi-annual magazine, which has enabled us to work with some of fashion, surf, and photography’s finest. The second issue hits stores this month.

What have been some of the biggest achievements for you guys during this time?

Expanding our reach beyond what we originally anticipated has been incredible. We’ve been able to open the doors of three new stores and continue to grow our collection each season. We’ve also collaborated with some phenomenal artists and retailers, such as Curtis Kulig and Colette in Paris, which have allowed us to delve into areas we couldn’t have done otherwise.

And challenges?

The growth of our company keeps us busy, so finding balance is an ongoing, yet healthy challenge.

Saturdays is included in the lineup for Bespoke, the luxury industry conference taking place in May. Where do you see Saturdays fitting in in the luxury industry? Surf and luxury are not two realms generally associated with one another…

We’d like to demonstrate that luxury and surfing can co-exist. We hope our attention to quality and design lends new meaning to how people view surf brands. We’re constantly looking to the luxury market to make sure our quality is on par with what they offer.

What do you think general lifestyle brands can learn from the luxury industry?

A lot can be learned from the luxury industry’s devotion to quality and craftsmanship. The luxury industry is constantly raising the bar, and we feel that is something every lifestyle brand should aim to mimic in their work ethic.

Similarly, what do you think the luxury sector can take on board (no pun intended) from the skate/surf industries?

The modern surfing/skate cultures have really embraced new ideals and philosophies in recent years. We think the luxury sector, and every sector for that matter, could learn a lot from an open-minded approach to design.

Who are your clientele mainly? You would think they were people who had grown up around surf more than native-born New Yorkers?

Our brand is aimed at those who live, work, and surf in New York City, but we believe people across the globe can identify with our vision and infuse a bit of our lifestyle into their own.

How do you describe the Saturdays aesthetic?

We’ve really expanded and diversified our collection in recent years, but the common thread in each of our products is classic design with a focus on functionality. Every piece of clothing or accessory in our collection is something that would naturally fit into our lifestyle. We’re constantly on the go, whether at the beach, in the city, or in between, so anything that isn’t wearable wouldn’t make sense for our brand.

What sorts of things are pinned to the Saturdays mood board?

We’re constantly tacking on images of people who we admire, artwork that fascinates us, and places we have our sights on visiting or have been fortunate to witness first-hand. Our blog is a pretty good reflection of our mood board.

You have an outpost in Tokyo now. Can you talk to us a little bit about how that came about?

There are a lot of parallels between the surfer culture in New York and that of Tokyo. The ethos of the city made it a natural choice for our first outpost. The Japanese market really seems to understand and appreciate our vision – from the collections we create each season to the lifestyle associated with the brand. They’ve really embraced our brand from day one, so the ability to open our doors [in Kobe] further cements that bond.

What would a Saturdays man be wearing this coming Australian fall/winter?

We’re putting a large emphasis on knitwear for fall/winter, so you can anticipate him sporting a cardigan, fisherman sweater, or a wave jacquard scarf. Our new printed fleece is another natural go to for fall/winter.

There are a lot of slick pieces available for your customers, and high-level design on things like board wax. How has the ‘surf’ customer changed? Are they demanding good-looking packaging and products more and more?

I think the ‘surf’ customer realizes that today that the laid-back surfer look can still be achieved without sacrificing high-level design or style. The two can go hand-in-hand.

Lastly, what’s getting heavy rotation on the Saturdays stereo right now?

Clash, Ramone, Rolling Stones, The Burning Hotels, Chances With Wolves radio program, A$AP Rocky.

Shop online at Saturdays NYC and get lost the latest edition of their bi-annual magazine, available here.

Learn more about Bespoke here.