The Seagull’s Glow-Up: Why We’re All Obsessed with Hollister Again
- Ella Henry-Schaeffer & McKaya Hall
- 25 minutes ago
- 3 min read
If you walked into a mall in the mid-2000s, you didn’t need to see the logo to know where you were. The strong and distinctive scent of "SoCal" signature cologne would strike you from three stores away before you even caught a glimpse of a surfboard. For the majority of us, shopping there was more than just buying a new hoodie; it was an experience.
The Legend vs. The Corporate Reality
One of the craziest things about Hollister is that the "surf legend" we all bought into was actually a complete myth. The brand was built on a fictional backstory created by former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries. According to the legend, John M. Hollister was a 1915 Yale graduate who left a Manhattan office life to run a rubber plantation in the Dutch East Indies, eventually opening a surf shop in Laguna Beach in 1919.
In reality, the brand was launched in 2000 as a corporate strategy to create "instant heritage." The name and history were pulled out of thin air to sell a specific, curated lifestyle. It worked so well that the brand even got into legal battles with the actual town of Hollister, California, over who "owned" the name.
Entering the "Beach Shack" Cave
For those of us who remember the early era of Hollister, stepping inside a store meant stepping into a mini-world. The storefront included "front porch" entrances with raised wooden steps and heavy shutters that made the store look like it wasn't even open.
Once you pushed through the door, the vibe consisted of dim lighting, loud music, and layouts that were intentionally difficult to navigate. Back then, the brand heavily relied on hiring employees based on their looks. They would hire models who embodied a very exclusive version of "cool." As a kid, it felt like a preview into a glamorous teenage life that was just out of reach.
Why the Lights Finally Turned On
Eventually, that "exclusive" style of the brand started to fall apart. As Gen Z got older, their demand for inclusivity made the old Hollister vibe feel toxic. Between the crashing sales and high-profile legal battles with corporate culture, the brand realized it had to evolve or die.
The objective shifted — Hollister needed to move from being an attraction to a store with staple clothing items for everyone. The shift started around 2014, when they ripped down the shutters and porches and replaced them with open, transparent storefronts. The dark rooms were swapped for bright, open floor plans where you could actually see the colors of the clothes you were buying.
Nostalgia is the New Cool
Fast forward to today, the seagull logo is officially being brought back. In July 2025, Hollister tapped into the Y2K trend by launching its "2000's Vault Release.” They didn’t just guess what we wanted; they looked at viral trends on apps like Depop and brought back 38 original silhouettes that fans had been begging for.
The collection features all the staples that defined early 2000s fashion:
Low-rise denim and ultra-low-rise shorts.
"Hermosa" bootcut jeans.
Babydoll tops, strapless silhouettes, and graphic tees.
Fur-trimmed hoodies and logo-heavy sweatshirts.
A More Inclusive Future
The biggest difference this time around isn't just the clothes but rather who they're made for. Hollister has prioritized inclusivity and expanded their sizing with a range of XS-XXL. This effectively fixes the "thin-only" restriction that made the brand so controversial twenty years ago. They’ve also kept price points accessible, typically ranging from $15 to $60, despite the popular demand for vintage aesthetics.
By repositioning the seagull logo as a symbol of nostalgia rather than exclusive and “high-end,” Hollister has managed to capture two generations at once. Millennials get to revisit their youth, while Gen Z gets to participate in the culture of a brand as well. It turns out that the best way to move forward was to look back, except the lights are turned on this time.
Written by Ella Henry-Schaeffer & McKaya Hall
Edited by Angelina Dang
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