Brixton appoints Levi’s executive as new CEO

Californian lifestyle brand Brixton announced Thursday the appointment of Seth Ellison to the role of chief executive officer, effective April 22.

A  40-year veteran of the lifestyle apparel and action sports sectors, Ellison joins Brixton from Levi Strauss & Company, where he most recently served as ​executive vice president, chief commercial officer, a​fter having served for a decade in roles including interim Levi’s brand president, president of Levi’s Europe, and global president of the Dockers brand.

Prior to Levi’s, Ellison served as EVP, chief commercial officer of Alternative Apparel in Los Angeles, after stints at Nike and Perry Ellis Swim, as well as Quiksilver, and Hurley.

“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.”

Founded in 2004, Brixton is an omni-channel lifestyle brand headquartered in Oceanside, CA. Blending surf, skate, music, design, and fashion, the brand incorporates modern classic styling across headwear, apparel and accessories.

The company distributes its products across 1,300 storefronts, seven owned retail stores, along with a growing e-commerce presence, across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

“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,” said 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?” 

In 2014, Brixton was acquired by Altamont Capital.