SAN FRANCISCO, JANUARY 17, 2006 â?” She was trained as an engineer at MIT and Stanford, and worked as a research scientist and program manager at NASA. She’s also a Stanford MBA, with an accomplished management career in Silicon Valley. Now, Leslie Chow, long-time avid golfer and multi-sport athlete, is utilizing those same skills and background to design and initiate the launch of her new apparel line, Iconicâ?¢ Sport.
A skilled athlete, who benefited first-hand from the dramatic strides in performance-enhanced design and styling in apparel intended for biking, running, yoga, fitness, and other outdoor activities, Chow was frustrated that similar advances had not been incorporated in woman’s golf apparel. She refers to Iconicâ?¢ Sport as a bridge line, combining ultimate high tech functionality with top-tier styling, for both on-course and around town. "Our concept is clean, unfussy, and sophisticated, with textile trim and keen detail interest," says Chow. "Our clothing does not look like surfwear, aloha shirts, or menswear â?” it is not men’s golf apparel cut smaller."
Her target market is the early Gen-X to late Baby-Boomer demographic â?” a sophisticated, fashion conscious, affluent woman, who craves high style, superlative golf function, and exemplary fit. "We have an athletic sensibility and are focused on a body-conscious, flattering fit for active women," says Chow. "We offer a full range of sizes from 2-16, because you can’t get the kind of fit that we want from just small/medium/large offerings." She adds that Iconicâ?¢ Sport has a selection of both slim-fit designs, and those crafted to accommodate a few extra slices of holiday pumpkin pie.
With price points between $75- $200, Chow notes that her garments were created and developed with a high degree of on-course research. "We field test all of our clothing for comfort, fit, fabric feel, wicking, temperature regulation, seam placement, stretch and recovery, freedom of motion, and golf-specific performance," says Chow.
Along with the cutting-edge fabrications, she places an intense concentration on the golf-specific design elements. "Women need ease in the chest and shoulder areas to accommodate our shape and motion during the swing, " explains Chow. "But it’s important that the ease does not result in a baggy midsection, which interferes with putting, or a drooping fabric bulk in the arm or shoulder that binds during the swing."
Designed and manufactured entirely in San Francisco, the first collection of Iconicâ?¢ Sport will be shown in Booth #17727 at the 2006 PGA Merchandise show on January 26-29th in Orlando, FL.
Contact:
Leslie Chow
President/Designer
(415) 861-3603
lchow@iconicsport.com
Barry Salberg
Media Contact
(650) 573-7500
salberg@mindspring.com
