OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.; IRVINE, Calif.; and El SEGUNDO, Calif., June 26, 2008 – Oakley, New Era and Almost Skateboards today announced the release of a new collection called “Good Livin’,” the result of a partnership between the three companies. Sharing colors and design inspirations, products in the collection are limited editions with definitive styling. Current items include New Era hats, a classic Oakley sunglass, and a skateboard inspired by Oakley pro Greg Lutzka. The worldwide release of this new line is scheduled for July 1st at select retailers.

“The idea behind Good Livin’ is that the finer things in life are what you choose them to be, and whether you choose simple or extravagant, it’s your own style that comes through,” said Colin Baden, president of Oakley. “Conveying that message has led us to collaborations, including a partnership with New Era that resulted in two custom pieces — a cap and a fedora that make an art of original style — and a skateboard from Almost that honors Greg Lutzka.”

Baden continued, “We opened the design vault to bring back our classic Frogskins®. A coveted sunglass that reinvented the art of eyewear, Frogskins® were inspired by the way our athletes approach life beyond sport. That’s the idea behind the collection, to capture a point of view that brings a unique look to lifestyle. Oakley skate pro Greg Lutzka is a perfect example of a true original, and the board from Almost has graphics inspired by his one-of-a-kind personality,” Baden concluded.

“It is truly an honor to collaborate with premium brands such as Oakley and Almost, along with a premiere skater like Greg,” said Braden Dahl, marketing manager of New Era Cap. “Greg has always embraced the New Era brand and been one of the original guys repping the flag. As Greg has matured, so has his taste, and it was only natural to incorporate a Good Livin’ signature fedora into the collection, along with the authentic 59FIFTY®. All of us are impressed with the creativity and commitment Greg brought to this project, and the resulting products speak volumes,” Dahl concluded.

Rendered in pristine white and matched with blue lenses, the Oakley Frogskins® in the new collection are accented with the words “Good Livin’” on the inside of the right stem. The retro styling of this famed Oakley sunglass includes one of the company’s earliest logos. Oakley is also providing a pair of shoelaces in matching varsity purple.

The hats in the collection come from the partnership of Oakley and New Era Cap, the world’s premier headwear brand and the official maker of caps for Major League Baseball. The renowned New Era 59FIFTY® cap is rendered in black and varsity purple with embroidered “GL” monograms on the front and printed monograms on the back. A black straw fedora joins the collection with a varsity purple ribbon crowning the rim. The hat is lined with black silk accented with an all-over Oakley repeat print.
Almost Skateboards created a custom deck graphic for Oakley pro Greg Lutzka, the board will be featured in the Good Livin’ collection. The print shows an animated character with select products from the line. Known as one of the best street skaters today, Lutzka achieved first-place finishes in street skating at the Globe World Championships, the West 49 Canadian Open and the Slam City Jam. He was awarded the Silver Medal at the Summer X Games.

About Oakley, Inc.
Oakley is a worldwide leader in performance optics including premium sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear. Headquartered in Southern California, the company’s optics brand portfolio includes Fox Racing, Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith Spectacles. In addition to its worldwide wholesale business, the company operates retail locations including Oakley Stores, The Optical Shop of Aspen and Sunglass Icon, the second largest sunglass specialty chain in the United States. The company also offers a wide selection of Oakley-branded apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.

About New Era
Founded in 1920, New Era Cap Company, Inc., the leading headwear manufacturer and creator of New Era Apparel, brings to market products that transcend time, culture, sport and fashion. Producing more than 35 million caps per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field cap worn by every Major League Baseball team and their Minor League affiliates and maintaining agreements with other licensed entities. On the street, New Era is known as the Originator of the True Fitted for its signature cap style, the 59FIFTY. Some of the Company’s core markets include Action Sports, Children, Fan, Suburban, Women and Fashion/Lifestyle. The Company, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, employs approximately 1,700 people world-wide in New York, Alabama and at its operations in Canada, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. New Era is a ‘Category A’ affiliate of the Fair Labor Association. For more information, visit www.neweracap.com.

Tags: almost skateboards, greg lutzka, new era, oakley

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