Iconic Brands: A retrospective

Lockheed Martin has always stood at the intersection of imagination and engineering. Few companies have a history as intertwined with the story of American aviation and defense, and even fewer have pushed the boundaries of flight quite like this one. From the early days of experimental prototypes to today’s cutting-edge aerospace programs, Lockheed Martin has built a legacy on daring innovation. The legendary Skunk Works division, born in the 1940s, became synonymous with secrecy, speed, and spectacular breakthroughs. This is the team responsible for icons like the SR-71 Blackbird, which still holds the title as the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft ever built, and the F-117 Nighthawk, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft. Lockheed Martin’s influence extends far beyond military aviation. The company has contributed to deep space exploration through NASA partnerships, satellite systems that power global communication, and advanced technologies that help shape the modern world. Whether it’s next-generation fighter jets, autonomous systems, or spacecraft designed to explore beyond our planet, Lockheed Martin’s work is fueled by a relentless drive to solve complex challenges. What sets the company apart isn’t just engineering excellence. It’s a culture built on curiosity, problem-solving, and the belief that the future should always be approached with enough imagination to redesign it. From aerospace fans to everyday travelers, anyone who’s ever looked at the sky and wondered what else could be up there has felt some tiny echo of the spirit that has guided Lockheed Martin for nearly a century.

There’s something about traveling Hawaii that stays with you long after you’ve boarded the plane home. Maybe it’s the scent of plumeria drifting through the air, the way the ocean shifts between cobalt and turquoise, or the aloha you hear everywhere, from the barista making your morning Kona coffee to the surfer rinsing off his board at sunset. The best souvenirs aren’t the ones you pack, they’re the ones tucked into the rhythms of everyday life. Like this canvas tote. Painted with island names, tiny pineapples, hula dancers, and bright anthuriums, it feels like the most charming crash course in Hawaiian geography you could carry on your shoulder. It’s the sort of bag you bring home after wandering through a small-town market in Hilo or Lahaina, where artists sell things made with love, sunshine, and maybe a little ocean breeze. You might spend your morning hiking through misty rainforest trails on Kauaʻi, only to end the day sitting on an Oʻahu beach watching the sun melt into the horizon. You discover that each island has its own personality. Maybe that’s why a simple tote, the kind holding sunglasses, snacks, and whatever treasures you pick up along the way, can feel like a memory in motion. Every little illustration echoes something you experienced: a plumeria tucked behind your ear, a shave-ice stop after the beach, or the first time you saw the islands spread out on a map and realized just how beautifully diverse Hawaii really is.

The 1990s brought a new kind of surf energy. Out of that came Roxy, a brand created by Quiksilver for women who lived and breathed the ocean. From the very start, Roxy wasn’t about following trends; it was about living the lifestyle... chasing waves at sunrise, salty hair, sun-kissed skin, and endless summer days. The heart-shaped Roxy logo, made from two mirrored Quiksilver waves, perfectly captured that feeling. It symbolized love for the sea, the thrill of adventure, and the effortless strength of the women who wore it. It was a reflection of passion and play. Roxy quickly became a staple on beaches and in surf towns around the world. From bikinis and boardshorts to wetsuits and snow jackets, it blended performance with a carefree spirit. And with surfers like Lisa Andersen, Stephanie Gilmore, and Carissa Moore representing the brand, Roxy became synonymous with grace, power, and progression in the water. Decades later, Roxy still carries that same wave-riding spirit. It’s more than a brand; it’s a celebration of women who feel most alive in motion, chasing the horizon, and finding freedom in every wave.

Surfing has always been about rebellion. No brand has embodied that attitude quite like Volcom. Born in 1991, Volcom wasn’t founded by executives in suits but by two friends, Richard “Wooly” Woolcott and Tucker “T-Dawg” Hall, who ditched their day jobs after a snowboarding trip and decided to build a lifestyle brand that captured the freedom of board culture. Volcom arrived at a time when surfing was starting to shift from a laid-back pastime to a cultural movement. Its now-iconic Stone logo became a badge for anyone who lived life sideways. It wasn’t about chasing trophies; it was about chasing expression. Volcom called it the “Youth Against Establishment” movement, and it resonated with surfers who didn’t fit the glossy magazine mold. While brands like Quiksilver and Billabong had already established the surf industry’s mainstream, Volcom kicked open a new door. It mixed punk rock with waxed boards, skateparks with reef breaks, and made surfing feel raw again. The company’s early surf videos and sponsorships helped push the next generation of riders. As surfing evolved into a global sport, Volcom never lost its edge. It stood for individuality in a sea of sameness, blending fashion, music, and surf in a way that no brand had before. From dusty garages to global surf comps, that stone became more than a logo. It became a symbol of the surf rebel spirit. Today, when you see a Volcom tee stretched across a sunburned back or flying down a beach break, you’re not just looking at a brand. You’re looking at surfing’s wild side, a reminder that every wave is meant to be ridden your own way.

Born in 1969 on Australia’s Gold Coast, Quiksilver started with two surfers, Alan Green and John Law, who just wanted better boardshorts. Sewing prototypes in their garage, they created durable, quick-drying shorts that changed surf wear forever. The name “Quiksilver,” meaning flowing mercury, captured the brand’s spirit... fluid, fearless, and always moving. Their iconic wave-over-mountain logo, inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, became a global symbol of surf culture. By the late ’70s, Quiksilver had spread from Torquay to Hawaii and California, sponsoring legends like Kelly Slater and Tom Carroll, and defining what it meant to live the surf lifestyle: freedom, adventure, and no suits allowed. In 1990, Quiksilver launched Roxy, bringing that same energy to women’s surf wear and solidifying its legacy. Decades later, the logo still stands for salt, sun, and rebellion. It's a reminder that Quiksilver didn’t just make clothes for surfers. It made surfing a culture.

Before Billabong became a global surf staple, it was just a backyard dream brewing on Australia’s Gold Coast in the mid-1970s. Gordon and Rena Merchant started sewing boardshorts at their home in Burleigh Heads, testing them out on local surfers who practically lived in the ocean. They weren’t thinking about fashion; they were thinking about waves, endurance, and culture. Out of that salty simplicity came one of the most recognizable emblems in surf history: the Billabong wave logo. The original Billabong logo was a perfect reflection of its roots. Two stylized waves, one cresting above the wordmark, one below, framed the brand name in bold, hand-drawn letters. The design was inspired by the Australian landscape itself: the rhythm of waves rolling into the shore, the ebb and flow of tides, and the raw beauty of the coastline. Even the name “Billabong” came from an Aboriginal word meaning “a waterhole that remains after a river changes course.” It symbolized connection, movement, and nature... all things the brand stood for. Visually, the logo was strong and no-nonsense, made to stand out on boardshorts and surfboards. Black and white became its signature colors. The waves weren’t delicate or decorative; they were alive, mirroring the untamed energy of the surf itself. In the late ’70s and ’80s, surfing was more than a sport; it was a lifestyle, and Billabong captured it perfectly. Every sticker, tee, and pair of shorts bearing those twin waves became a kind of membership badge for surfers who lived by the tides. Over the years, Billabong’s logo has evolved but that core identity has never changed. The waves are still there, reminding everyone where the brand began: in the salt, the sun, and the unbreakable bond between surfers and the sea. The original Billabong logo wasn’t just a design; it was a statement. A promise that no matter how far the brand traveled, it would always stay close to the water.

Before Roxy, surfing was mostly a boys’ club, endless ads of bronzed guys chasing waves while women’s gear was an afterthought, if it existed at all. Then in 1990, Quiksilver decided to change that. Out of the same surf-soaked DNA that built their brand, they launched Roxy, a line designed specifically for women who lived to ride. It wasn’t pink-and-frilly “surf style.” It was performance gear with personality. The early days of Roxy felt like a cultural shift. The brand wasn’t just selling bikinis; it was building a new identity for women in the lineup. Their first logo, that mirrored Quiksilver wave forming a heart, was more than clever design. It was a declaration that women belonged in the water just as much as men. Every wave, every ride, every sunburned afternoon said the same thing: this is our space too. By the mid-’90s, Roxy had become the heartbeat of women’s surf culture. The brand sponsored groundbreaking athletes like Lisa Andersen, whose four consecutive world titles proved that power and femininity could ride the same wave. Andersen wasn’t just a Roxy ambassador, she embodied the brand’s spirit: bold, authentic, and unapologetically competitive. Roxy’s influence didn’t stop at the shoreline. Their surf videos, events, and fashion blurred the line between sport and lifestyle. The brand’s campaigns showed women not as accessories to surf culture, but as its driving force. Even decades later, Roxy still represents that same saltwater soul. The logo hasn’t lost its power, and neither has its message. Every girl who zips up a Roxy wetsuit, waxes her board, and paddles out into the lineup carries that legacy with her... the legacy of women who took the waves and made them their own. Roxy didn’t just join the surf scene. It changed it, turning the ocean into a place where heart and power ride the same wave.

Volcom started first in 1991, the brainchild of two friends who ditched their day jobs for powder days and beach breaks. They came up with a name, Volcom, and a logo that looked like a diamond that had survived a punk concert. The Stone wasn’t just a shape; it was an attitude. Black and white, strong and simple, it shouted Youth Against Establishment without saying a word. A few years later, Roxy crashed onto the scene, born from Quiksilver’s desire to give women their own lane in surf and snow. Their logo, a mirrored pair of Quiksilver waves forming a heart, was pure genius, equal parts power and play. It said, “Yeah, I surf. And I look good doing it.” The Roxy heart became a badge for the fearless girls who could drop into a wave, bomb a hill, and still grab acai bowls after. Where Volcom was the rebel kid carving graffiti into the skatepark, Roxy was his effortlessly cool sister doing it in a bikini and a bucket hat. They lived in the same world but brought their own energy to it. Together, they helped shape an entire generation’s idea of what it meant to live outside the lines. Even now, their logos are timeless. The Stone still stands tall and defiant; the Heart still beats with beachy confidence. Different vibes, same soul. Both proof that the best brands don’t just make clothes; they make culture. So here’s to Volcom and Roxy: the Stone and the Heart that taught us that freedom looks best in black and white… and maybe a little bit of pink.

Before Roxy hearts and Volcom stones ever hit the sand, there was the Quiksilver wave... the logo that started it all. Born in Torquay, Australia in 1969, Quiksilver began as a small surf wear brand with one big idea: to capture the spirit of surfing in a single image. Their founders wanted something that felt as bold and unpredictable as the ocean itself. The result? A cresting wave breaking over a jagged mountain, a design that became one of the most recognizable symbols in surf culture. The logo was inspired by the Japanese woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, an image as iconic as the sport itself. But Quiksilver’s twist was adding the mountain, a nod to the brand’s growing passion for snowboarding and its “surf the earth” mentality. It perfectly balanced two extremes: the calm and chaos of nature, the sea and the summit, the ride and the climb. Over the years, the logo barely changed, and for good reason. You don’t mess with perfection. That single wave-over-mountain symbol became the badge of surfers, skaters, and snow riders across the globe. It told everyone who saw it that you weren’t afraid to go where the next ride took you.

Let’s rewind to the early ’90s, when surf culture was booming and Quiksilver was already ruling the waves. Someone finally asked the obvious question: where’s the brand for women who ride? In 1990, Quiksilver launched Roxy, a line made for women who surf, skate, snowboard, and live for the ocean.  Then came 1993, the year Roxy unveiled its now-iconic logo: a heart formed by two mirrored Quiksilver logos. That clever design move transformed Quiksilver’s mountain-and-wave emblem, originally inspired by the Japanese print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, into something new. Flipped and joined together, the two halves created a heart that perfectly captured Roxy’s essence: love for the sea, strength, and feminine edge. It was bold, graphic, and instantly recognizable, splashed across bikinis, boards, and snow jackets alike. The Roxy heart didn’t just represent style, it represented belonging. It told the world that women had their own place in surf and snow culture, not as spectators, but as riders, competitors, and leaders. It was a logo born from rebellion and reshaped into empowerment. Decades later, that same heart still beats across beaches and mountains. The colors, the font, the attitude... everything about the original Roxy logo radiates confidence and independence. It’s more than nostalgia; it’s a symbol of women carving their own wave.

Let’s throw it back to 1991. Grunge was loud, skate decks were louder, and two friends, Richard “Wooly” Woolcott and Tucker “T-Dawg” Hall, decided to start a brand built on chaos and freedom. Enter Volcom. Armed with a borrowed five grand and zero business plans, they came up with a name and a logo that would outlive every baggy pair of jeans from that decade. That first Volcom logo, the Stone, was pure rebellion in geometric form. Black and white, sharp edges, no frills. It looked like a diamond that had been through a mosh pit. The Stone stood for strength, independence, and the brand’s early motto, “Youth Against Establishment.” When you wore it, you weren’t just repping a company... you were giving the finger (stylishly) to conformity. Volcom didn’t care about polish; it cared about attitude. And somehow, that scrappy logo from a bedroom startup became one of the most recognizable symbols in surf, skate, and snow culture. Thirty-plus years later, the Stone hasn’t changed because you don’t mess with a classic that already rocks.

Some aircraft aren’t just machines; they’re legends. The SR-71 Blackbird (nicknamed “Habu”) and the F-117 Nighthawk are two of the most iconic creations ever to come out of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and their legacy is written in speed, stealth, and secrecy. In this photo, the story of aviation innovation lives on through what these two are wearing. One shirt pays homage to the Habu, the fastest jet ever built, capable of outrunning missiles at over Mach 3. The other celebrates the Nighthawk, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft, a plane so futuristic it looked like it came straight out of science fiction. The Habu represents the Cold War’s high-speed chess game in the skies, while the Nighthawk embodies the leap into the stealth age. Both were breakthroughs that changed the rules of aerial warfare and cemented Skunk Works’ reputation for engineering the impossible. Wearing these tees is more than repping cool graphics, it’s about carrying forward a culture of innovation, daring, and pushing the edge of what’s possible. Because whether it’s the roar of a Blackbird streaking past the horizon or the quiet shadow of a Nighthawk slipping through radar, these aircraft remind us that legends don’t fade; they fly forever.