by Brittney Wright
Appropriately located across from the harbor in Oak Bluffs, Slip 77 is a storefront best recognized by its iconic dot-filled logo. Owners Jessica Lyon and Christina Izzo first met here on the island, and fell in love with the Vineyard style of living. Years later, they have man-aged to turn their affinity for the island spirit into an unmistakable brand that features everything from the basic logo t-shirt to the more classy selection of resort wear. This Week sat down with Jessica to find out more about the past, present, and future of Slip 77.
This Week: What inspired the store’s name?
Jessica Lyon: When we were coming up with the name, we wanted it to have some Vineyard- tone to it but not be too touristy. So we found out that in 1977, the Vineyard tried to secede from Massachusetts –– they had their own flag, their own governor, and so the 77 comes from that year. The ‘Slip’ is just cause we’re across from the harbor.
TW: How did you come up with the dotfilled logo?
JL: Morse code for the letter ’S’ is actually three dots, so we put that in a square form and added the differently-colored accent dot.
TW: How would you describe the style that Slip 77 carries?
JL: Since our store is open just during the summer months right now it’s kind of lent itself to a more casual, summery style. It’s definitely more of a laid-back style, but still we have our more classy, preppy styles as well.
TW: If there was a signature Slip 77 product, what would you say it would be?
JL: Definitely anything with our nine-dots logo on it, it’s just taken off! Our logo is just so unique and neat that people love to wear it, and so anything with it on it is so Slip 77. We’re more than just t-shirts, so it’s a more stylized collection with our logo on it.
TW: What’s the best thing about being right on the Oak Bluffs harbor?
JL: We have beautiful sunsets here which are amazing! It’s just fun to be in the middle of the hustle and the bustle [of downtown Oak Bluffs]; you get to see people coming on and off their boats, walking around after their lunch or dinner, and we’re right before Circuit Ave-nue so it’s nice to be right in the center of things.
TW: What’s new this season at Slip 77?
JL: This is our third season, and we’ve revamped our whole Slip 77 line. So instead of t-shirts and sweatshirts, we’ve gone over the process with a bunch of different companies to create a more cohesive brand, more of like a lifestyle brand. We have a lot more accessories that are personalized for Slip 77, and a lot more stylized clothing that are not basic t-shirts. We’ve really been expanding our personal brand.
TW: Where is the future headed for Slip 77?
JL: Our ideal is to open another store, we’re thinking on the island. We definitely want to spread the Slip 77 lifestyle and culture, it would be awesome!
MORE INFO:
28 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs MA (across from Nancy’s on the harbor)
Open daily 9 AM to 11 PM
508-687-9975
slip77.com
