Covering the Spectrum
O
ne would be hard-pressed to think of an American city that, over time, hasn’t grappled with its geographic size. Either by compressing or expanding itself to deliver amenities and services to its residents, the successful city constantly seeks to remain vibrant and viable. Irvine, California, has been playing out its own scenario for 57 years, combining long-term forward thinking with state-of-the-art enhancements to create Irvine Spectrum,® widely regarded as today’s prototypical live-workplay model.
The area is coming to resemble a city within a city. Irvine Spectrum Center,® an upscale shopping, dining and entertainment destination that features a multiplex cinema, comedy club and some 150 boutiques, stores and eateries, is the social hub of Irvine’s thriving residential and business neighborhoods. The Spectrum, as it has come to be known by local patrons, is in the midst of a $200 million reinvestment campaign that will add 30 more stores and restaurants to the roster. Fully one-third of Fortune 500 companies and some 900 technology companies conduct business in and around the Spectrum, while employees can walk or bike to work from its five luxury rental communities and beyond. One of the newcomers to the reinvestment project is 9-year-old Stance, which, despite its San Clemente roots, waited quite some time for the right opportunity to open an Orange County shop. The 1,800-square-foot space is slated to open August 18 in the Spectrum’s expansion wing.

With a mission to transform a forgotten category — socks — into a coveted accessory, Stance has won over performance athletes and superstars to become the official sock of the NBA and Major League Baseball. Influencers including Rihanna, James Harden, Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Chin and Bubba Watson have gotten behind the brand, which has also launched men’s underwear and women’s intimates lines. Beyond their meticulous construction, the products’ creative design aesthetic draws younger shoppers.
“It’s one thing to see a product online, but it’s another thing to touch and feel it.” — PAUL ZAENGLE Executive VP of Direct-to-Consumer, Stance
“Spectrum is a perfect fit for us,” said Paul Zaengle, Stance’s executive vice president of direct-to-consumer. “This store will be a great expression of our brand: the breadth of product, how innovative and technical it is, the quality and effort we put into making it, the fit. It’s one thing to see a product online, but it’s another thing to touch and feel it. “We like the demographic — young shoppers, young families — and we love the multiuse aspect, which we see as the shopping destination model of the future. They’re getting it right, and we’re happy to be part of it.”