Island Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel, Retail |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Spencer Antle |
| Fate | Ceased retail operations in 2019 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | North America, South America, Caribbean, Europe |
| Products | Resort apparel, swimwear, travel clothing, skincare products, sunglasses, beach and home accessories |
Island Company was established in 2002 by Spencer Antle as a wholesale and retail brand specializing in resort apparel. The company ceased operations of its retail outlets in 2019 following severe destruction caused by Hurricane Irma.
Originally beginning with a modest selection of women's swimwear, the brand expanded its offerings to include travel clothing for both men and women, skincare products, sunglasses, as well as beach and home accessories.
History
At the inception of Island Company, Antle and his then-girlfriend personally traveled between stores, selling a collection of 13 bikinis directly from their vehicle. After their separation, Antle retained ownership of Island Company and introduced a men's collection along with additional product lines. The brand quickly gained traction when destination resort boutiques within luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels began carrying the products. This development marked Island Company's evolution into a comprehensive lifestyle resort brand rather than solely a swimwear label.
During the 2008 economic recession, while many retailers were shutting down, Island Company defied the trend by launching five retail locations within an 18-month period. Although some of these stores have since closed, the company earned recognition by appearing on Inc. magazine's list of the Top 5000 fastest-growing U.S. companies consecutively from 2010 through 2015.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner, PacSun
In October 2014, Island Company initiated legal action against Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner alleging trademark infringement[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] for using a slogan closely resembling Island Company’s registered phrase: "Quit your job. Buy a ticket. Get a tan. Fall in love. Never return."[8][9][10][11][12]
The Jenners had produced a t-shirt in collaboration with the youth surfwear brand PacSun, featuring the phrase "Run away. Fall in love. Never return.” Island Company argued that this wording was confusingly similar and could mislead customers.[13]
By January 2015, both parties reached a resolution whereby Island Company received a confidential financial settlement, and PacSun agreed to withdraw all remaining merchandise from retail locations.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Abercrombie
In July 2013, Island Company initiated legal action against Abercrombie & Fitch on grounds of trademark infringement. The complaint asserted that Abercrombie & Fitch had utilized Island Company’s trademarked slogan, "Quit your job. Buy a ticket. Get a tan. Fall in Love. Never return."
Cotton On
In mid-December 2015, Island Company filed a lawsuit targeting Cotton On for their t-shirt bearing the phrase “Quit You’r (sic) Job, Buy a Ticket, Travel the World, Fall in Love, Repeat.” Island Company described Cotton On’s slogan, which contained grammatical errors, as “confusingly similar” to its own trademarked catchphrase. The company sought a federal court order to have Cotton On destroy the infringing apparel.
Free People
On August 31, 2017, Island Company brought suit against Free People in U.S. District Court. The allegation claimed that Free People’s merchandise featured a logo, “Buy A Ticket, Tune In, Rock Out, Never Return,” which infringed upon Island Company’s registered trademark due to its resemblance.
Locations
Island Company operated twelve standalone retail outlets across various locations including Naples, Florida, Palm Beach, Florida, the Cayman Islands, the Ritz-Carlton in Ft. Lauderdale, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and East Hampton NY. Additionally, there were two stores in Las Vegas—one at the Venetian Las Vegas and another at the Fashion Show Mall—and two more on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. In June 2015, plans were announced for a new 4,000-square-foot store opening at the Ritz-Carlton in Ft. Lauderdale. The brand supplied merchandise to over 1,000 wholesale partners globally. Its distribution network spanned across North America, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. However, by July 2019, all retail locations had ceased operations.
Closure
- In July 2019, Island Company ceased operations following extensive damage caused by Hurricane Irma.
See also
- ↑ Duboff, Josh (October 26, 2015). "Kendall and Kylie Jenner Have Been Sued over T-Shirt Copy". Vanity Fair.
- ↑ "Kendall and Kylie Jenner's T-Shirts Are Being Pulled From Stores After a Major Lawsuit". January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Berrington, Katie (January 6, 2016). "Who Sued Kendall And Kylie?".
- ↑ "Kendall and Kylie Forced to Pull Copycat T-Shirt From Stores". January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Kylie and Kendall Jenner settle clothing line lawsuit". torontosun. January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Jenners, PacSun Settle Lawsuit over Copied T-Shirts".
- ↑ Schlossberg, Mallory (January 6, 2016). "PacSun doesn't want you to see this shirt that Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed".
- ↑ "Quit Your Job Mantra - The Origin of Life Warrior - Wanderlust". www.islandlifestyle.com.
- ↑ "Lea Michele knows Cory Monteith 'would love' Matthew Paetz, plus more news". www.msn.com.
- ↑ "PacSun doesn't want you to see this shirt that Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed". Business Insider. May 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Kendall and Kylie Jenner Plan Fashion Collection Release After PacSun Lawsuit Settlement". January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "celebrities - Latest News, Photos and Videos - J-14".
- ↑ "Kendall And Kylie Jenner Are Being Sued Over PacSun Clothing Line". October 26, 2015.
- ↑ "PacSun doesn't want you to see this shirt that Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed". January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Kendall and Kylie's shirts removed from stores after lawsuit". www.easternmirrornagaland.com. January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Here's the shirt Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed that PacSun doesn't want you to see - KardashianToday.com". January 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Kendall & Kylie Tees Pulled From PacSun - Baller Alert". www.balleralert.com. January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Schlossberg, Mallory. "PacSun doesn't want you to see this shirt that Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed". The Free Press.
- ↑ nurun.com (January 6, 2016). "Kylie and Kendall Jenner settle fashion lawsuit". The Kingston Whig-Standard.
- ↑ Schlossberg, Mallory (January 7, 2016). "Here's the shirt Kendall and Kylie Jenner designed that PacSun doesn't want you to see". Business Insider.