Los Angeles, CA – The Land of the Rising Sun is about to get a shade or two brighter. Today, colourful golf glove maker G/FORE announced that Japan Golf Tour star Shingo Katayama is the latest pro to enter into an exclusive partnership with the brand.
Known for his bold style and affable personality, Katayama has reigned as one of Japan’s best golfers since turning pro in 1995. The so-called “Cat in the Hat,” who recently traded his signature cowboy headgear for a hip porkpie style, has topped Japan’s money list five times, won 26 tournaments on the JGTO (including the 2005 Japan Open), and finished in the top five at both the 2001 PGA Championship and the 2009 Masters.
“Of course I love to show my personality in my golf attire,” Katayama said, “but I take the game itself very seriously. My clothing and equipment must perform on the course – every swing, every round. I am thrilled by how perfectly G/FORE gloves fuse fashion and function.
“I trust G/FORE with my game,” he continued, “and use the colours to bring a touch of fun out onto the course with me.”
And Katayama won’t be the only Japanese golfer with the privilege of wearing G/FORE’s brightly hued, premium AA Cabretta leather gloves. The brand also announced it is expanding distribution into select high-end Japanese retailers – including Beams, Isetan and United Arrows, with additional retail partners set to follow next year.
“Our expansion into Japan is a no-brainer for me,” G/FORE founder-designer Mossimo Giannulli said. “The Japanese market clearly understands and appreciates the combination of quality, performance, taste and style that G/FORE embodies. It’s doubly exciting to be able to partner with an accomplished player and style icon like Shingo.”
Since debuting its colourful line at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida, G/FORE has become the glove maker of choice for a wide range of stylish golfers – from professionals like Ricky Barnes, Robert Rock, Alex Cejka, Rick Smith and Tommy Armour III and celebrities including Wayne Gretzky, Bill Murray and Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill to weekend warriors and clubhouse regulars alike.
G/FORE
G/FORE is a privately held California-based golf brand under Mossimo Giannulli’s Dirty Bird Productions (DBP) management group. Giannulli founded the billion-dollar clothing company Mossimo Inc. in 1987 and brokered a first-ever designer-exclusive distribution deal with major mass merchant and Minneapolis-based Target Stores in 2000. Rooted in the style established by golf’s Scottish forebears – dandified knickers, tartan sweaters and argyle vests – G/FORE promotes a simple evolution: colour. Visit www.g-fore.com
DIRTY BIRD PRODUCTIONS
Dirty Bird Productions (DBP), founded by Mossimo Giannulli, is a privately held management group in fashion, entertainment and lifestyle brands.
Contact:
Brittney Souders
310.558.2869
brittney@g-fore.com
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