• The Wall Street Journa, Thursday, March 6, 2008 12:15 PM

Quiksilver, whose wetsuits and swimwear is aimed at teenage boys and girls who identify with surf and skate cultures, is branching out this summer with a new line of clothing aimed at twentysomething women who may never catch a wave. With items from sweaters to jeans priced around $40 to $100, the line "looks back to the past, to figures like Jackie Onassis," the company says.

The line will be sold by Nordstrom and at Quiksilver's 669 stores, among other outlets, and will keep the brand's name and wave-and-mountain logo. The move is more evidence that for teen-oriented retailers like Quiksilver--niche brands with big ambitions--expansion requires courting a following beyond their founding cliques.

Quiksilver has taken a few cues from its surf marketing to build buzz. In a studio in Los Angeles's Silver Lake district, it is sponsoring projects by six women that it dubs "visionaries in residence." They include a singer-songwriter, a bicycling activist and a performance-art rock musician. They will also hawk the new clothes, much as Quiksilver's surfing and skate endorsers do.

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