Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) has granted Outdoor Collective the license for Spyder manufacturing in the ski and snow apparel categories, as well as accessories. Outdoor Collective will be responsible for the merchandising, design, operations, sales, service, marketing, sourcing and production of the Spyder brand.
“This strategic move marks a new chapter as Outdoor Collective looks to expand its market reach and enhance production capabilities,” Spyder explained in a media release.
Outdoor Collective is led by co-founder and CEO, Harry Tawil. He is also the the founder and CEO of Q4 Designs (Q4D) an apparel company, in the sportswear space, established in 2011, with a brand portfolio that includes Reebok and Volcom, both active licenses with Authentic. Outdoor Collective reported it “will merge and leverage its strengths from Q4D with the design, innovation and technical performance capabilities of Spyder.”
Authentic acquired Spyder in August 2013, representing the first outdoor and winter sports brand in the company’s portfolio. In connection with that acquisition, Authentic and LF USA, a division of Li & Fung Ltd., entered into a deal that established LF USA as the exclusive licensee partner in North America, South America, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for all current in-market and footwear products bearing the Spyder brand.
Authentic had big plans at the time to expand Spyder’s sportswear offerings while entering the footwear category. It also planned to increase Spyder’s presence in department stores but also said it saw ample room to grow in the brand in sporting goods stores, ski shops and other specialty accounts.
Li & Fung, Ltd., one of the world’s largest sourcing and logistics providers, spun off its Global Brands Group Holding Limited segment, which included Spyder, to shareholders in July 2014 as part of a major restructuring. Global Brands made a go of it with Spyder and also moved into South Korea in late 2015 with a plan to open for Spyder stores.
In July 2021, Authentic transitioned its core licenses for Spyder to Liberated Brands, which had just begun to manage the Volcom brand. Liberated Brands assumed outerwear and apparel sourcing, product design, marketing, wholesale, e-commerce, and retail store operations in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Russia, and select territories in the European Union. Liberated Brands was a strategic partnership between Authentic and the Volcom management team.
Liberated Brands said at the time that it “intended to leverage the expertise and know-how it built with Volcom to continue the expansion of Spyder into a full four-season business and broaden its global footprint.” Authentic helped build up the Liberated Brands portfolio to include the brands owned by Boardriders, Inc., including Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes, RVCA, and others.
In 2022, Spyder was replaced by Italian sportswear brand Kappa as the official technical apparel partner of the U.S. Ski Team. Spyder had the deal for 33 years before the change. Kappa, owned by BasicNet, signed a multi-year sponsorship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and continues to manages that business.
By 2024, Liberated began looking for a potential buyer of the business and took cost-cutting steps, including implementing a hiring freeze, laying off 47 workers and negotiating payment plans with trade vendors, to save money. In November 2024, it divested its North American assets for Spyder-branded gear.
Authentic pulled all remaining licenses from Liberated in early December 2024. Liberated filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 2, 2025.
Footwear Unlimited has the license for Spyder Footwear.
Spyder offices and operations worldwide have reportedly been assumed by Outdoor Collective to manage the reach and service of the business currently in place, including Spyder’s headquarters in Boulder, CO.
“Outdoor Collective will continue to research and build compelling Spyder products and open the scope to innovate on-mountain, Freeski, Venom, full après ski, and year-round lifestyle categories within the product offering,” Authentic noted.
Under the supervision of a parallel team within Outdoor Collective, the development of Billabong Outerwear is set for a Fall 2025 launch.
“We are excited about this transition and are confident that Outdoor Collective is the right group to continue the legacy of quality and innovation that Spyder is known for,” said Brady Collings, president, Outdoor Collective On-Mountain. “This move allows us to establish a multi-brand platform dedicated to performance and innovation utilizing our merchandising and design resources, while also ensuring that production remains in very capable hands.”
Outdoor Collective expects the Spyder experience will provide a map for other efforts within the group to source outside of China and ship direct from factory to regions.
“Spyder is one of the most respected performance brands in the world, built on decades of excellence and technical innovation,” offered David Brooks, EVP of Action and Outdoor Sports, Lifestyle at Authentic. “Outdoor Collective has the expertise and vision to elevate Spyder to new heights while staying true to its heritage of delivering top-tier gear for winter athletes and enthusiasts.”
The transfer of the manufacturing license will take effect immediately, with Fall 2025 production set to continue without disruption.
Image courtesy Spyder/Authentic Brands Group
