Roots: Founded in San Francisco by John McCambridge in 2005.
The San Francisco based Mollusk surf shop played a big part in sparking the enthusiasm and appreciation for all things retro in surf culture. The store opened in 2005, and their in-house brand immediately reflected the soulfulness that was missing in contemporary surf culture, which was dominated by big corporate names at the time.
By creating the shift away from in-your-face, garish surf apparel, Mollusk cultured and expanded the niche for simplicity and quality that allowed other brands to join in. Without Mollusk, we would never have heard of Saturdays, Battenwear, and other small brands pursuing the finer things in life and surf.
