Impressions - June/July 2019 - 21

Massive social-media growth through
platforms such as Instagram and
Facebook have enabled everyone to show
off their fashion statements from highfashion markets to rural clothing trends.

Murray talking about selling his camo fatigues in New York City's
Garment District for high dollars in the 1981 comedy, "Stripes."
In the 1990s, hip-hop culture and the streetwear scene grabbed at
the camo trend and left a permanent impact on its popularity going
forward. Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G. and brands like A Bathing
Ape pulled camo into the world of MTV and many trend-making
magazines. At this point, there was no turning back.
Camo has held its place in the fashion world and shows no signs
of letting go. In fact, it is changing and expanding to include styles
and patterns that look nothing like the clothing from the 1960s or
even the 1980s.

What's Trendy Now?
Camo's latest popularity run is benefiting from several long-range
trends - both social and cultural - that have resulted in more exposure, thus generating more dollars.
The Country Music Revolution: At no time have country music
and Southern culture enjoyed more of the national musical mind
share than right now. The crossover fame of many top artists; resurgence of Nashville, Tennessee, as a cultural center; and the blending
of all popular music trends has caused more camouflage to enter the
market. This has caused classic hunting camo brands, such as Mossy
Oak and RealTree, to enter the fashion world.
These music trends also coincided with massive social-media
growth. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have enabled end
users to show off their fashion statements; rural clothing trends got
a boost from this.

Fish On, Camo: Perhaps the largest trend in the camo space is
occurring in the fishing category. In the past several years, sublimation printing and camo have aggressively entered this market. Seen
frequently at retail, this is an area where today's digital decorators
can grow their businesses.
Several brands have emerged to capture the consumer's attention
in this fast-growing space. Retail brands, such as Mossy Oak, Costa
del Mar, Huk and Aquaflage, have been catalysts in the "coastal camo"
trend that is taking over beaches, flying bridges and dockside grills.
"[Camouflage is] popular with anglers, tourists and the surfing
crowd all at the same time," says Aaron Moyer, president and founder
of Aquaflage, St. Augustine, Florida. In addition to working with
coastal specialty retailers, Aquaflage works with local resorts and
tourist destinations to screen print their styles with custom graphics and name drops.
"We see demand for more of our aquatic camouflage from the
trade," Moyer adds. "Look for several new styles from us focused on
the coastal and surf marketplace. Florida is at the nexus of both of
these markets like few other places in the U.S."
Camo's changes haven't been just on the water. Valerie Schopmann, marketing operations manager, LAT Apparel, has seen the
camo changes first hand.
"Camo in the market has made a very large shift in the last few
years," she says. "In the past, licensed camo brands stood at the forefront of this category. Primarily, [they were] utilized by the hunters
and outdoor markets, but that is no longer the case. As camouflage
progresses, we are seeing more of a heavy fashion spin across all
apparel markets. Whether it is a more streetwear vibe or a more mutJUNE/JULY 2019

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Impressions - June/July 2019

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