SAN FRANCISCO, CA (AUGUST 3, 2007)— Founder and designer of women’s luxury performance apparel manufacturer, Iconicâ?¢ Sport, Leslie Chow, is taking it to the road this summer, participating in an ambitious series of sales, promotional, and charity events to showcase new product and gain additional exposure for the Iconic brand. "Our goods have gotten terrific feedback from buyers, retail customers, and focus groups, and we’ve had some great press coverage," said Chow. "But now it’s time to really rev up sales, so we’re expanding in different areas and trying to build on our current base."
The new initiative includes a succession of trade show appearances, as well as a group of trunk and fashion shows in conjunction with select charity events and related functions. "It’s a question of supporting local community non-profits," said Chow. "That’s always been important to me personally. I’ve served on a number of non- profit boards, and have regularly donated pro bono consulting for many years. I want to continue that community service as part of our corporate culture."
In early July, Chow presented a benefit trunk show and prize raffle at Lake Merced Country Club, just outside of San Francisco, as part of a golf tournament fundraiser for the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. "They’re trying to raise $50 million to save the Immigration Station on Angel Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay," explained Chow. "It is the Ellis Island of the West Coast — all of the immigrants from Russia, Asia, and the Asia Pacific regions came through Angel Island from 1910 to 1940, so it’s quite an historic area." As in all Iconicâ?¢ Sport charity efforts, 25 percent of the Iconic sales are donated to the charity.
Chow will similarly participate in another charity function at the North Shore Invitational Golf Tournament benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, on Monday, August 6, 2007, at Plandome Country Club, in Plandome, New York. "Again, we’re doing a trunk show benefit," said Chow. "We have a retailer nearby, and we want to extend our support for non-profits beyond just those in the Bay Area." Following the tournament, Chow appears in a "meet the designer" appearance on August 8th, at the Forward Tee Golf store, in Farmingdale, New York, near Bethpage.
The two East Coast functions are sandwiched in between trade and rep show appearances in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Hawaii, where Chow will be working the booths at each event, starting with the Southern California Golf Rep Association and California Active Sportswear Association Trade Show, August 1-3. "The Los Angeles rep show is for local retailers throughout the greater L.A. area and into the Desert," said Chow. "We’re trying to make it easier for those people to come in for one day, take a look at the line and see our products." Following Los Angeles and New York appearances, Chow will be at the Hawaii Golf Rep Association Trade Show, at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spas, September 4-6, in Honolulu.
Next, is the PGA Fall Expo, September 11-12, at the Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, where Chow and Iconicâ?¢ Sport will be located in Booth #261. "This is the first time we’ve been to the Las Vegas show — I was actually on the fence about it," she admits. "But it has a much bigger West Coast coverage — apparently 85% of the attendees in Las Vegas don’t go to the Orlando show, so there’s an opportunity to reach an entirely different audience than we’ll get in January. So we thought we’d give it a try."
Also added to the new sales push are two new rep hires. Industry veteran Greg Applegate joins the Iconic team, covering the Northern Florida, Georgia, and Alabama territories. A winner of numerous sales awards, Applegate adds Iconicâ?¢ Sport to his other lines, Aerogreen, Q1 Golf, and Ogio. "Greg brings us a wealth of experience — he knows this territory well, and should be an invaluable addition to the Iconic team," said Chow. Ever the innovator, Chow has also hired long-time golf shop merchandiser and buyer, Cathy Sutton, to represent Iconicâ?¢ Sport in Texas. Sutton makes the switch from her award-winning career as a buyer at a number of golf facilities, including the Domino Country Club in San Antonio, Grand Elk Golf Course in Colorado, and Superstitious Springs Golf Course in Arizona. "Cathy brings 25 years of knowledge and background from the other side of the table," explained Chow. "It’s a key perspective that can only be an asset to our sales efforts."
The sales initiative continues as Chow actively seeks additional representatives for other available territories.
In related efforts, Iconicâ?¢ Sport was a booth sponsor for the second year at the Poppy Ridge Golf Course, "Business Golf For Women" event in Livermore, California, held in conjunction with the PGA’s "Play Golf America" week in June. And as a member of the Northern California Women’s Summit, Chow provided garments for an Iconicâ?¢ Sport fashion show at the latest Summit meeting held in July at the Northern California Golf Association offices in Pebble Beach and at Spyglass Hill Golf course. "We were able to demonstrate to other members of the group how our line is different in terms of our focus on golf performance, as well as fit and style suitable for a variety of women players," said Chow.
About Iconicâ?¢ Sport:
Founded and designed by former NASA engineer, Leslie Chow, Iconic is targeted at upscale women golfers, emphasizing sophisticated style and golf performance enhancement. Born out of Chow’s disenchantment with existing women’s golf apparel, Iconic garments incorporate elements from both her engineering background, and an innate fashion sense. Once referred to by a noted Silicon Valley recruiter, as "the coolest woman in the Valley," Chow has created a high fashion statement, with functional design elements specifically intended for the serious player. With degrees from both MIT and Stanford, she is an avid multi- sport athlete, and was featured in the "Member Spotlight" segment of the 2007 Bluebook edition of the Northern California Golf Association’s magazine, NCGA Golf.
Based and manufactured in San Francisco, Iconicâ?¢ Sport is directed toward the upscale, fashion conscious, female athlete, who desires something special in her choice of golfwear. The line incorporates golf-specific design elements as well as high-tech fabrications in
unique combinations of print and solid garments.
Contact:
Barry Salberg
(650) 573-7500
salberg@mindspring.com
President/Designer
Leslie Chow
(415) 861-3603
lchow@iconicsport.com
