First Look: Jimmy Choo, Malbon Golf Merge Sports and Sparkle
Jimmy Choo’s creative director Sandra Choi is full of surprises when it comes to collaborations.
From a Jean Paul Gaultier collection fronted by Kylie Minogue to teaming up with Parisian embroidery house Les Ateliers Vermont, young American designer Conner Ives and Malbon Golf — a sport and brand that’s yards and yards away from the glamor and stiletto heights of Jimmy Choo.
“I was introduced to Erica and Stephen Malbon [the couple behind the gold brand] in Los Angeles a couple of years ago by a mutual friend. Their entrepreneurial approach to fusing lifestyle, fashion with performance clothing and accessories felt aligned with our desire to try something different,” said Choi in an interview.
The women’s and men’s footwear collection features classically golf-like footwear in white, cream, black and blue with textured diamond cleats incorporated, as well as denim slippers with the JC logo and the Malbon mascot wearing a Jimmy Choo bucket hat, which is part of the accessories range.
Other items in the range include a baseball cap; a monogrammed golf bag; a rangefinder case; club head covers and shoe bags.
“I love to surprise people with our collaborations, unexpected pairings that underscore shared values and expertise. To be fair, golfing does require special shoes for the sport, and that was a good starting point,” said Choi.
The collaboration doesn’t exclude the glamorous Jimmy Choo customer — a pair of rose gold trainers have been encrusted with rose gold crystals. There’s a shoe for everyone, even the most eccentrically dressed golf players.
It has been a learning curve for Choi.
“This is our first sports-focused collaboration and it has been a fascinating education, respecting the performance elements and function whilst blending our design codes. Lifestyle versus fashion adds a new dimension. Being in the great outdoors changes the scenery for sure. Green carpet versus the red,” she said.
“This is the first golf footwear Jimmy Choo has manufactured. We tested out the product in the field to ensure it functioned as well as it looked,” said Eric, giving the shoes its stamp of approval.
The sport adds $102 billion to the U.S. economy, according to a 2023 study from the Economic Impact Study that was commissioned by American Golf Industry Coalition and undertaken by the National Golf Foundation.
The new Economic Impact Study, commissioned by the American Golf Industry Coalition and conducted by the National Golf Foundation, reveals that in addition to the almost $102 billion in direct impact on the U.S. economy, golf’s indirect and secondary impacts bring that total to more than $226 billion. The game of golf enables more than 1.65 million jobs, including more than 1 million directly tied to the industry.
“Golf in general has grown exponentially over the last few years for many reasons, but we love that it’s a group sport that families and friends can play together. It creates community while still providing a healthy outlet for competition as well,” explained Eric.