Brieane Olson is aiming to build a meeting space of culture, technology and fashion for young retail customers through her company, Anaheim-based PacSun.
Olson became the sole CEO of the apparel company in June, a leadership position she didn’t plan for when she joined PacSun—or Pacific Sunwear of California LLC—16 years ago as a senior design director, around the same time the firm was transitioning from a surf and ski-focused retailer to “a premier option for both men and women,” according to Olson.
She was in part responsible for building out the women’s line, bringing in brands and creating partnerships to attract new customers.
One such retail partner—Fear of God—was brought into the fold in 2013 and has since become one of PacSun’s best-selling apparel partners among 50 or so accounts.
PacSun was also one of the first brands to sign a clothing partnership with reality TV stars Kendall and Kylie Jenner and has since added multiple collections from notable actors and musicians.
The retailer is now close to hitting $1 billion in annual sales.
Through prioritizing a “consumer-first” mentality, Olson moved up the ranks to chief merchandising officer, chief brand officer and president before becoming the firm’s first female CEO.
“It was a really natural progression,” Olson told the Business Journal. “Having the customer at the core really lends itself to the right decision making, no matter where you are within the organization.”
Olson was honored at the Business Journal’s annual Women in Business Awards event this month at the Irvine Marriott.
Luxury Intersection
Olson started working in retail at 15 years old and continued to do so throughout her time as an undergraduate student at University of California, Berkeley.
After graduating, Olson decided to pursue the fashion industry all the way to Italy, “where all the iconic brands were birthed,” and where she learned to see fashion as a business as well as an art.
“There’s a formidable industry behind it,” she said.
Olson received her master’s degree in fashion styling and design at Istituto Marangoni. She then worked for a luxury group overlooking high-end brand portfolios such as Gianfranco Ferré and Valentino.
While abroad, Olson partnered with Holly Dunlap to start luxury company Hollywould. The pair sold the firm in 2006 for an undisclosed sum, leaving Olson with the option to return to the U.S.
“I started my journey into the mainstream market and wanted to pivot out of the luxury sector and focus on the next generation of youth,” she said.
She returned to California and after a year with Ohio-based Abercrombie & Fitch, Olson landed at PacSun.
“I was brought in to bridge the gap between merchandise and design. We started to unpack what the future consumer was looking for,” Olson said.
From All Sides
Olson knew there was a need for “additional partnerships that were important from a woman’s point of view.”
She tapped influencers and celebrities to develop in-demand products, including partnerships with Emma Chamberlain—who currently touts 12 million subscribers on YouTube—actress Storm Reid and singer Ryan Destiny.
“These have all been really important in creating a much more inclusive view of how to welcome the women’s side into the PacSun business,” she added.
PacSun aims to connect with its core demographic, ranging from 16 to 24 years old, from different sides of pop culture.
The firm named rapper A$AP Rocky as its first creative director and released a streetwear collection with him. When F1 racing was looking to break into the retail industry, PacSun was given the opportunity to be one of its first collaborators.
PacSun was also one of the few retailers to sell the limited-edition Super Bowl collection from Mitchell & Ness and Rihanna’s Fenty makeup brand in stores, following the singer’s widely watched halftime performance in February.
Its latest apparel installations with New York City’s The Metropolitan Museum of Art feature Van Gogh paintings, New York buildings and Greek and Roman sculptures, and have brought national attention to the Anaheim company.
“We’re grateful to be the recipient of so many great ideas and to have creatives in the industry reaching out to partner with us based off a solid track record,” Olson said.
Tech-Centric Retailer
Given the fast-moving pace of youth culture, PacSun CEO Brieane Olson aims to build “whatever comes next” through creativity, innovation and working alongside the consumer.
“We focus on building core values as opposed to chasing trends,” Olson said.
One value is having a digital-first mindset.
“It goes hand in hand with showing up where our consumer is,” she added. “They don’t view it as ‘technology’ or ‘digital’—it’s just the way they do things.”
Under Olson’s leadership, PacSun achieved record-breaking social media impressions through its creative partnerships, including a live, virtual sale on the video app TikTok.
Olson has taken great interest in the Roblox gaming platform, an online community where people interact in the metaverse, a virtual reality realm.
The retailer first made small launches on the site in 2021, creating a catalogue of PacSun’s best-selling apparel and new accessories for digital avatars to wear.
“The pandemic accelerated the digital community,” Olson said of their choice to get involved. “Identity online became important as well.”
One piece of merchandise, a pair of gold wings, ended up going viral among users.
“When it came to digital appearance, we wanted to play with the imagination of the players,” she said.
Olson decided to invest more in the Roblox platform after building a virtual mall called PacWorld in 2022.
Last February, PacSun launched a virtual experience that allows Roblox users to digitally create a map of Southern California with cities like Santa Monica and Hollywood already built in.
PacSun reported getting 20 million users in the first few months of the virtual world, with an average play time of 27 minutes per session.
