FIELDREPORT
First Look: FJ SS16 Apparel
Alex Fordham was invited along to the European briefing of FootJoy’s Spring/Summer 2016 Apparel Launch. In an SGB exclusive, he was able to view the new product range
“I would say a lot of the pieces look quite
dressy… The products look good in a number of environments and wouldn’t look out of place on the high street, but without turning our back on our performance-based motto. “Performance is the priority above
everything else.” The size of the range itself is pretty similar
to last year with forecasting the key trends for 2016 at the heart of the design framework. The collection essentially breaks down into four key colour story ranges- Evoke, Vista, Maui and Aster. Featuring bold Mint, Berry, White and Navy
colours, the Evoke Collection has a 14-strong range of athletic and traditional fit shirts, as well as two Chill-Out garments. Similarly, the Vista has 12 shirts in a variety of styles including strong colour blocks, stripes and fresh pattern detailing. For those favouring a more extravagant
market. My astonishment was testament to the work that's been done by the the brand in the apparel category, which has seen it come to dominate in many areas of the UK, including among my local clubs in the south east. In fact, in 2014 FootJoy announced that it had
I
become the number one shirt brand in the UK. With year-on-year growth and Spring/Summer 15 another record year for the apparel team, FootJoy are experiencing significant growth in this category. “We are comfortably the number one for
men’s on-course shirts in terms of sell through and value share,” said Richard Fryer, FootJoy’s EMEA sales and marketing director. “The first quarter of 2015 has seen a value share of 12.5% and comfortable double-digit growth. “For us this isn’t the most important thing though- our ethos is a quality product that crucially provides a return on investment for
16 SGBGOLF
was recently surprised to learn that the 2016 installment of FootJoy's 2016 Spring/Summer Apparel range marks only its fiſth year to
retailers. We are pleased the sell-through rate is good for retailers and they are making money out if it. “We are a mature brand but young in apparel. Consumers are starting to find us in a competitive market place though.” During 2014/15, their apparel was marketed as ‘high street meets performance’ and the essence of this evidently successful formula appears to shine through again for 2016. With a diverse product range that appeals to a wide range of UK golfers, Fryer believes the breadth of styles and fits is the key to their exponential growth. “Our 2016 range is totally new and nothing is
carried over from last year. Everything is fresh and is very much an update on traditional designs with our performance fabrics ethos. “The real strength of our range for 2016 is the
elasticity- we don’t have to have logos on certain areas of the garment. The products appeal to a very diverse demographic which many other brands don’t do.
colourway, the Maui offers a varied and distinctive colour palette of Aqua, Orange, White and Navy. Pique, Lisle Jacquard and Jacquard Check materials also feature, along with two Chill-Out Pullovers, a Jersey Knit Track Jacket, Performance Slim Fit Trousers and Performance Madras and Bedford Shorts. Completing the range is the Aster
collection which is a little more subtle with pastel tones reflecting the latest trends in colour. Stripes feature strongly with a pin dot pattern. The flagship product continues to be Lisle Multi-Stripe which of course has been updated for 2016. For Whitney Trimble, FootJoy’s director of
marketing apparel, the designs of the Spring/Summer 16 range have closely echoed retail fashion trends which should ensure those fashion-conscious consumers will make FootJoy their first port of call when updating their apparel next summer. “The UK market often drives the fashion
details that we add to the line and we visit the UK market more than any other when coming up with ideas.
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