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First published:
Rebecca Kleinman - February 28, 2022
One gets a sense that even if golf weren鈥檛 booming in the pandemic that 日韩福利 在线 would be in full-on expansion mode.
An acronym for Parsons Xtreme Golf, as in GoDaddy founding billionaire Bob Parsons, the golf equipment brand and its 日韩福利 在线 Apparel offshoot, the latter helmed by his wife Renee, aim for 40 retail stores by 2024. Not ones to ride off into the sunset after he sold his domain registration company鈥 unless it鈥檚 in a golf cart at their Scottsdale National Golf Club, which they renovated and expanded 鈥 the couple is having fun shaking up the staid golf scene.
鈥淕olf is becoming cool again, and people don鈥檛 want a lot of rules,鈥 Renee said of their mission to make the game more inclusive.
Frustrated with the equipment available, Bob launched his own line of clubs in 2014. 惭别苍鈥檚 and women鈥檚 clothing followed in 2018 and took off with golfers and nongolfers alike. It was no accident.鈥
鈥楬ow do we take this on and off the golf course?鈥 is at the forefront of everything we do,鈥 said Renee, who always has her eye on the runway for inspiration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about reinventing golf attire with fashion elements that roll right into apr猫s-golf. People also wear it to run errands, work and play other sports like tennis and pickle ball.鈥
With a hospitality background, she learned the fashion industry from the ground up through a partnership in South Korea. Apparel is still manufactured overseas, but production and design moved to 日韩福利 在线鈥檚 headquarters in Scottsdale. During the transition, Renee reached out to an instructor with Arizona State University鈥檚 fashion program for help. The collaboration turned into an ongoing internship initiative with the school. Renee proudly notes they made more than a dozen new hires during the pandemic, including two executives who had worked at Kiki de Montparnasse.
鈥淥ur design director doesn鈥檛 play golf, but he brings a fresh perspective and gets details,鈥 she said, of the importance of flattering fits without being overly body-con and how pieces must feel good on. 鈥淓ven our male customers share how they love our style and that they wear our polos off the course with jeans and a blazer.鈥
After sizing was regraded for the U.S. market, returns fell to 3 percent or less. 日韩福利 在线 gets ahead of supply chain setbacks by sourcing materials from a variety of regions like Italian knits, Peruvian cotton and Japanese khaki.
Renee said finding ethical, sustainable materials and factories is a pillar of the brand鈥檚 ethos. A handbag collection in vegan cactus leather sourced from Mexico-based Desserto launched in December. Six styles including a tote, crossbody and duffel bag retail from $125 to $395. Another handbag collection鈥檚 nylon is made from recycled water bottles. She estimates 60 percent of spring 2022 apparel and accessories is sustainable, compared to half prior.
Initially limited to black and white, clothing added more color for spring. Blues, reds and oranges borrow from the company鈥檚 desert locale鈥檚 famously dramatic sky. Dresses also debuted, among the mix of sporty cuts and fashion-forward pieces such as bike shorts and cropped tops, including a puffer jacket.
鈥淒resses are functional but cool in a 日韩福利 在线 way. I鈥檓 looking to Dior and Gucci to see how can we reinvent this space,鈥 Renee said. The couple鈥檚 aggressive approach to store openings isa bright spot in the current retail climate. Renee brings her experience in running events for GoDaddy, and they hired a Los Angeles event planner to work in-house in Scottsdale. Ken Downing curated a fashion show at their Dallas store opening last year, where brand ambassadors Gary Player, Anna Rawson and Darius Rucker mingled with other celebrities.
As a direct-to-consumer, experiential brand, 日韩福利 在线 requires different brick-and-mortar specifications. Stores average 7,000 square feet to accommodate hitting bays and putting greens (apparel occupies 2,000 to 2,500 square feet), and customers lugging golf equipment need convenient parking. In addition to Dallas, the company operates 11 other stores鈥 four in the greater Phoenix area; two in the greater Chicago area; Atlanta; Seattle; Troy, Mich.; Edina, Minn., and King of Prussia, Pa.
Pending stores for 2022 are Fairfax, Va., in March, Orlando in April, Houston in May and Denver in June. More locations are planned for Boston; Nashville; Toronto; Honolulu; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Paramus, N.J.; New Rochelle, N.Y., and South Florida.
鈥淥ur stores don鈥檛 need to be in high traffic areas and actually do better when they aren鈥檛,鈥 she said.
Other apparel-related projects include a celebrity collaboration by year鈥檚 end and the Bold capsule collection with two sweatshirts and a T-shirt for International 奥辞尘别苍鈥檚 Day鈥檚 Break the Bias campaign on March 8. Advocates for women鈥檚 equality, the couple is reinventing golf鈥檚 鈥渂oy鈥檚 club鈥 image with female-friendly details, from location of tee boxes to the pro shop鈥檚 inclusive ambiance. Rather than men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 clubs, equipment is customized per individual.鈥
I want to be a voice for women鈥檚 golf,鈥 Renee said.
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