Dry Island
Dry Island is an apparel brand owned and created by Eric Plyler located on Asbury Avenue in Ocean City New Jersey. I got the chance to interview Eric and ask him some questions behind the brand, what he did before creating “Dry Island”, and some of his favorite parts about being involved in the community. His store is my go to “get a new hat” place, as well as the perfect location to find gifts for Christmas, holidays, and birthdays! It never misses.
2 years leading up to the opening of Dry Island, Eric did full time product development design and design. This is something he did within the city of Ocean City for many different local businesses and companies.
Dry Island opened as a brand in 2019 on 1119A Asbury Avenue. Throughout opening, Eric continued to do design and product development in between greeting the community as they walked through his doors.
Dry Island was open within their original store for 4 years. “I enjoyed watching it grow. Without taking a jump into a space that offered more room for inventory, I wasn’t going to give the brand room to breathe. It was a risk to make that jump. We filled the store with merchandise, and converted the old location to back stock inventory! It was 4 months of renovation in the new store with mom and dad. Cutting wood, staining, wood, and getting it ready to go.” - Eric
The new location located on 965 Asbury opened on April 1, 2023. By the time this article posts, Dry Island will have it’s “new location” one year anniversary in the books!
Meaning Behind the Name:
The Brand name serves as a celebration of Ocean City and it’s history as a dry island. The branding itself infuses historical references, appreciation, symbols of unity, and sarcasm for those that appreciate and value living in Ocean City.
Conceptually, Eric came up with the idea behind the name in late 2017. After thinking of the concept, he said it took a while for the name to arise. It was in July of 2018 when Eric was in pursuit of creating artwork for the brand. Some of the work that is yet to be released was crated before the brand was ever created!
“One of the best parts about owning our own space is being able to watch it grow and having control over how much you’d like it to grow. It requires you to stay engaged. I try to see things through a different lens when things feel like they’re getting stale, and hitting that reset button on the excitement for it. You have to know the balance and transition into the operations mindset. You have to wear both hats. You need just as much as the artist as you need the business.”
Community’s Response:
The community’s response was that it was “off the beaten path”. The original store front location was a little farther down on Asbury. Eric mentioned that people began stumbling upon them, and friends were beginning to be made because of the brand. There was a lot of excitement, and it felt like it was accepted. “We still have the same customers since day 1, and it’s a growing base that we appreciate.”
“My favorite part about being in the community is getting to put faces to the names and build friendships. It’s such a small community that when you participate on a daily basis, you learn about it.”
“You’re required to live by example”
