Brixton, the omni-channel lifestyle brand headquartered in Oceanside, CA, has appointed Seth Ellison, a Southern California native and 40-plus-year veteran of the lifestyle apparel and action sports categories, as CEO, effective April 22, 2024.
Most recently, Ellison was EVP and chief commercial officer (CCO) for Levi Strauss & Company after working a decade in roles including interim Levi’s brand president, president of Levi’s Europe, and global president of the Dockers brand.
Before Levi’s, Ellison was the EVP and CCO of Alternative Apparel in Los Angeles. Brixton said he rounds out his diverse experience across consumer segments, product categories and geographies with expertise in sports with Nike and Perry Ellis Swim, and his history in action sports as VP of design and merchandise for Quiksilver and his role as president of Hurley International.
Keoni Schwartz, co-founder of Altamont Capital Partners said, “We ran a very comprehensive search, and Seth’s range of experiences was unique. He started in sports and action sports but has spent the last decade in lifestyle apparel, led brands equally relevant for men and women, led both domestic and international businesses, ran DTC businesses but is wholesale focused, he started in Design, Merch, and Sales, but has led a variety of both small and very large organization as president/CEO. Seth’s breadth and depth will both be immensely valuable as he leads Brixton through its next phase of brand development and company growth.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the team at a time when market turmoil creates an enormous opportunity for a brand like Brixton,” said Ellison. “Consumers want and our wholesale partners need more from us in terms of brand leadership, innovative products, consumer connection, and execution. Brixton has had a unique point of view since its inception, an incredible price-value ratio in our core products of hats and flannel, and a brand position at the center of culture. We have all the right ingredients to become more meaningful to our brand loyalists and our retail partners as well as to introduce Brixton to new audiences.”
Vickie Mrva, chair of the Board, added, “I have to thank the entire team for the incredible effort and results while we conducted the search. We have a group of leaders who are both passionate about the brand and immensely talented. Seth understands the brand and shares our vision, but he will also be an excellent mentor and coach to help elevate everything we do.”
“When we created Brixton 20 years ago, we never intended to be a classic action sports company. I didn’t feel that there was a brand that spoke to me and all the things we were into,” added David Stoddard, co-founder and chief brand advisor. “We all surfed and skated, but we were equally influenced by music, since we were in a band together. Unique fashion and style were important to us, or we wouldn’t have launched as a cut-and-sew hat brand. We were born from Oceanside, so our culture and style were more blue-collar versus the industry up North. We still believe that we are an authentic and unique blend of all those influences and don’t want to be a brand that stereotypes the consumer. I’m thrilled that Seth is joining us because he gets who we are and wants Brixton to be a better Brixton. I always felt that we could be the ‘Levi’s for the next generation’, a brand that was both blue-collar and broadly culturally relevant and that remained cool as it grew. Who could be better as our next CEO than someone who has already executed my aspiration?”
Image courtesy Brixton
