If you’re into skate or surf culture, you probably heard something about RVCA lately mostly rumors about it shutting down. That’s left a lot of people wondering: is RVCA going out of business, or is there more to the story? The short answer is no, RVCA is not shutting down. There have been some big changes behind the scenes, but the brand isn’t disappearing.
Let’s break down what’s actually happened, why the rumors started, and what’s next for the brand.
Where The Rumors About RVCA Closing Came From
People started worrying about RVCA’s future in late 2023 and early 2024. Some headlines hinted at bankruptcy, closures, or RVCA being discontinued altogether. Thing is, it wasn’t actually RVCA that filed for bankruptcy it was Liberated Brands, the company that owned the license to RVCA in the U.S.
Liberated Brands managed several surf and skate brands including RVCA, Billabong, and Volcom. In December 2024, Authentic Brands Group, or ABG, pulled its licensing deal with Liberated Brands. When that deal ended, Liberated Brands lost control over a bunch of labels, including RVCA. That led them to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
So, RVCA itself wasn’t bankrupt or going out of business. The parent company just lost the rights to run it. Think of it like your local café shutting down because the landlord chose a new tenant it’s the operator that’s changing, not the café itself.
What Happened When Liberated Brands Filed for Bankruptcy?
When a company files for Chapter 11, it doesn’t necessarily mean everything under that umbrella goes away right away. In this case, Liberated Brands entered bankruptcy protection to reorganize debts after losing its major licenses. Several stores did close, and a lot of retail workers were laid off, which added fuel to the rumors.
At this point, it wasn’t clear to a lot of shoppers (or even store staff) what would happen to the actual brands. No one wants to see their favorite label vanish overnight. Instead, new licensing deals were quietly being drawn up behind the scenes.
Who Owns RVCA Now? Here’s The New Setup
Here’s where it gets interesting: once Liberated Brands was out, RVCA’s license went to Quetico Lifestyle Brands. They’re not a household name, but Quetico has a track record in taking on lifestyle and apparel brands. To manage RVCA, they set up a new company called Ethos Brands.
This sort of transition is pretty common in the apparel industry but happens mostly out-of-sight from shoppers. The core idea is: the designs, the spirit, and even many of the same employees move over under a new management flag. Customers probably won’t notice much changing, at least on the products themselves.
Ethos Brands now runs RVCA, while ABG retains oversight as the global brand owner. It’s a joint operation, but Ethos gets to focus on the day-to-day management and direction. This deal helps keep RVCA’s independence while providing some corporate muscle behind the scenes.
RVCA’s Offices Moved And Leadership Changed
Not long after the new license was secured, another transition happened: the RVCA team relocated its headquarters to Irvine, California. Before that, RVCA had operations more dispersed now, everything is centralized in Irvine. The goal is to have a fresh start and create tighter coordination with the new parent company.
There’s also a new leadership group taking the reins at RVCA. The company has brought in some folks with strong backgrounds in streetwear and skate style. Their focus is on bringing out modern collections, re-engaging loyal fans, and trying new ways to connect with customers.
The shift to Irvine is part of a bigger strategy. They want to be close to both industry partners and the creative scene that helps shape RVCA’s look and message. Whether you’re shopping online or at your usual skate shop, that’s the kind of change you might see in new product drops or marketing, not in a loss of availability.
What About the Product Lines? Is RVCA Still Launching New Stuff?
If you’re wondering if RVCA still makes collections, the answer is yes actually, they’re doubling down. The Spring 2026 line just launched. That’s a sign the company is thinking long-term, not preparing to wind anything down.
The new management is talking about expanding existing product lines too, not just repeating the old basics. Rumor is, they’re exploring more limited edition collaborations and looking at areas like eco-friendly fabrics a big trend in streetwear right now.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that RVCA’s new operators seem both aware of the pressure fans put on “authenticity” and open to fresh creative partnerships. They’re not treating this transition as a chance to water down the brand.
Retail and Employee Impact: Who Got Hit the Hardest?
It would be glossing things over to say no one got hurt. When Liberated Brands filed for bankruptcy and lost its major licenses, over 1,400 people lost their retail jobs. All the U.S. stores under Liberated RVCA included were closed fast.
For shoppers, that meant the physical RVCA shops they used to visit stopped operating. But most of RVCA’s sales were already happening online or through other retailers. Products are still available at the same skate shops and major online sellers.
A few major labels, including RVCA, Volcom, and Billabong, were transferred to new wholesale partners. It’s not great news for retail workers, but the brands themselves didn’t disappear, shift to liquidation, or lose shelf space.
So for most customers, it’s business as usual just with new companies handling the logistics behind the scenes.
RVCA’s Plan for the Road Ahead
After all these changes, you might be wondering what RVCA’s new roadmap looks like. Turns out, Ethos Brands and Quetico aren’t coming in with some huge overhaul. Their main priorities: stay loyal to the surf/skate identity, expand collections, and experiment with more community-driven events and activations.
RVCA’s leadership is making bigger bets on direct-to-consumer sales (think online drops and exclusive site releases) and closer partnerships with artists and athletes. They’re putting emphasis on keeping things fresh but familiar a balance that’s not easy for brands this size.
One goal is to keep the brand relevant even as fashion cycles spin faster and competition gets tougher. Expect to see more local activations, artist collaborations, and maybe even more event tie-ins over the next couple years. As a business, RVCA wants to grow just not at the expense of the fans that have stuck around.
If you’re into tracking business pivots and survival stories, sites like Epic Business Tips have been covering how brands handle shake-ups like these. Sometimes, making it through a big transition just means holding steady, not blowing everything up.
What RVCA’s Story Tells Us About Brand Survival
The RVCA story isn’t a one-off apparel brands trade hands all the time without a lot of noise. But when a big name goes through a parent company’s bankruptcy, it’s easy for rumors to swirl about a total shutdown.
For now, RVCA is operating at its new base in Irvine, with new teams in charge and a long pipeline of releases. Fans should keep seeing new products and collaborations, even if where they buy them looks a little different from past years.
Change isn’t always fun, especially when people lose their jobs. But RVCA’s approach staying loyal to what built their brand but open to trying some new things might be their best shot at staying on the scene.
Final Take: RVCA, Still Here and Still Making Clothes
To sum up no, RVCA is not going out of business. The brand’s not without problems, and its retail presence changed after Liberated Brands called it quits. But RVCA as you know it is still making clothes, dropping collections, and very much in operation under new management.
If you’re a longtime fan, you’ll likely see new designs and collaborations rolling out soon. The shake-up behind the scenes might mean fewer stores, but RVCA’s core message and style remain. And for now, that’s the real story less drama than rumor mills suggested, more steady progress than most shoppers may have expected.
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