Pacsun is an iconic Californian label that has a deeply rooted trust and admiration amongst young adults. From contemporary collections to streetwear and activewear, Pacsun continues to partner up with brands at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and sports to curate their pieces and creative collaborations.

After years of anticipation, the label is officially opening its doors in the Middle East with its debut store launch at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. In collaboration with Majid Al Futtaim, Pacsun is expected to launch their first-ever international store early this year.

Cake The Mag sat down with Pacsun CEO, Brieane Olson, to tap into the inspiration behind launching in Dubai, the brand’s ecosystem, its values-led storytelling, and more.

Cake The Mag: Pacsun has always been rooted in a very specific Californian mindset. This marks the label’s first international expansion outside the U.S. Why did Dubai, specifically Mall of the Emirates, feel like the right place to begin that global story?

Brieane Olson: Dubai felt like the right place to begin our global story because it sits at the intersection of youth culture, global influence, and real-world community. It’s one of the most dynamic and youthful regions in the world, digitally savvy, culturally curious, and deeply connected to global trends, which aligns naturally with our core audience.

Mall of the Emirates specifically made sense because Pacsun is a mall brand at heart, and malls are once again becoming social and cultural hubs for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Young people aren’t just shopping there; they’re gathering, discovering brands, and engaging with culture in real life. That environment allows us to bring the Pacsun experience to life in an authentic way.

As we expand internationally, our strategy is to enter markets where youth culture thrives and to show up in ways that feel locally relevant while staying true to Pacsun’s identity, and Dubai was the perfect place to start.

Pacsun has built real trust within Gen Z and Gen Alpha. What do you think brands still misunderstand about how young people want to engage with fashion today?

One of the biggest misunderstandings is assuming Gen Z and Gen Alpha are a single, uniform audience. Even within those generations, motivations, values, and behaviors vary widely, which is exactly why we created the Pacsun Youth Report. It helps us listen more closely and respond more thoughtfully instead of making broad assumptions.

Another misconception is that young people only care about trends. Trends matter, but what really drives engagement is purpose, creativity, and inclusion. Young people want to be part of the process and want to co-create, contribute ideas, and see their values reflected in the brands they support. Trust is built when brands create with them, not just for them.

With around 60% of the GCC population under 30, youth culture here is fast, expressive, and deeply digital. How are you thinking about Pacsun’s role within this ecosystem rather than simply entering it?

We’re thinking about our role in the GCC as participating in youth culture, not just entering a market. While every region has its own nuances, what we’ve seen through the Pacsun Youth Report is that Gen Z and Gen Alpha share many core behaviors globally, they discover brands digitally, but they still crave real, social, in-person experiences.

In a region as young and digitally fluent as the GCC, that means showing up across both worlds. We’re engaging youth online through content, creators, and community, while also creating in-store experiences that feel social, expressive, and worth being part of, from trying on products to capturing content and spending time together.

Music, in particular, plays a powerful role as a shared language that shapes identity, often even more than fashion. By anchoring ourselves in our core pillars of fashion, music, art, and sport, we’re able to connect authentically with youth in the GCC and find meaningful moments of cultural connection, while staying true to who Pacsun is globally.

The debut regional collection at the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a strong first statement. Why was Formula 1® the right cultural moment to introduce Pacsun to the region?

Formula 1® felt like the right moment because it’s become a global cultural platform that resonates deeply with youth in the region and around the world. In Abu Dhabi, Formula 1® brings together sports and fashion in a way that naturally aligns with Pacsun’s culture-first approach.

Debuting the collection at the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix allowed us to introduce Pacsun in a space that already matters to the community, rather than forcing ourselves into the conversation. It was an opportunity to show up authentically and connect the brand to the passions and experiences that resonate most with young people.

The collection itself reflected that intent as it blends our signature style with local inspiration. The moment also signaled how we plan to engage the region by meeting youth where culture is happening and contributing in a way that feels meaningful, relevant, and true to who we are.

Pacsun has been vocal about purpose-driven retail and values-led storytelling at a time where local relevance is increasingly non-negotiable. How much creative freedom will regional teams have to shape Pacsun’s product, storytelling, and community engagement in the Middle East?

Local relevance is essential, so regional teams will have meaningful creative freedom to shape how Pacsun shows up in the Middle East. That includes influencing product, storytelling, and community engagement in ways that reflect the energy, creativity, and cultural nuances of the region.

By partnering closely with Majid Al Futtaim and working hand-in-hand with local communities, we can create digital content and in-store experiences that feel genuine and culturally grounded, while still staying true to Pacsun’s purpose-driven, culture-first core.

Pacsun Launches its First-Ever International Store in Dubai

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