Volcom announced the promotion of Jeffrey James “JJ” Gonzales to the role of global men’s design director.
Gonzales has been working at the Costa Mesa, Calif.-headquartered action-sports brand for the past 16 years. He’s designed almost every category of men’s garments, from boardshorts to jackets, but he’s focused on denim.
Gonzales will oversee Volcom’s men’s and boy’s product and lead the global design team.
“It’s about following the brand’s history and heritage,” said Gonzales, “but constantly evolving and looking forward.”
Volcom CEO Todd Hymel said, “JJ has been a core member of the design team for years, developing and growing our bottoms business to be the industry leader, by far. He is a living and breathing embodiment of Volcom’s passion and dedication and I am excited for him to drive and elevate all of our efforts to bring a new level of creativity to our brand and product.”
Erica Yary, formerly skateboarding category director at Stance, has been hired as volcom’s global women’s marketing director. Previously, Yary hosted shows for FUEL TV, Street League Skateboarding, Dew Tour, X Games and helped found The Weekend Buzz with Rob Brink.
“It seemed like a no-brainer to make the jump over to Volcom, with the upcoming launch of plus and extended sizes, the sustainability initiative the company has implemented and the excitement around not just women’s clothing, but also championing women for their brains, beauty and talents,” said Yary. “It’s an exciting time to work for a brand that is making clothing for every kind of girl, in every shape and size. I’m very excited to be a part of this great team and brand, and stoked for the future!”
