Malbon Golf swaps their familiar Pacific Blue for something more Azure

One of the most unique parts about Malbon Golf is their ability to take the company’s branding, marketing, and overall spirit to every physical location, market sector, or type of clothing they so desire. Their performance line is wholly that, with a focus on materials and feeling and function rather than the witty art of the Market collection, or the funky logos and color blocking of the Ghostface collection, or the multiple naturalistic themes of their Fall/Winter 24. This “chameleonic” aptitude is once again taken to new places, this time being whisked away to the dreamy, ritzy beaches of the French Riviera. Leave it to Malbon to be able to evoke feelings of one of the most exclusive areas of the world with the same fabrics that created the first ever sweatsuit on Tour, but this is a tried and true endeavor for them. Being able to create microcosms of Malbon merchandise, mini Malbon worlds that exist within the company as a whole, with marketing mixes and product lines so different from the next that from a top down view, it seems impossible that all these brands can coexist, let alone share the same mission. But, it is that special way of fleshing these worlds out, with their stellar marketing and through the clothes themselves, that help each one exist on it’s own, the connection being in the Malbon name, logo, and vision.

A very coastal collection in design and color, the blue and yellow motif throughout invites that Mediterranean feel, while the use of materials, patterns, and especially names evoke the luxurious, sun washed days spent on the sand. A lot of the designs are very in line with the Belle Epoque architecture serving up and down the coastline, its use of asymmetrical curves and Rococo-esque patterns vividly plastered throughout the pieces. It takes center stage on the Riviera set, the all-over print just barely leaving enough room for good old Buckets. This same print is reduced to the liner for the Monte Carlo Jacket, which has a bit more of a refined look while keeping that Malbon dopeness intact. The color palette is then dissembled from the patterns and thrown through the rest of the collection, with full azure tees using the goldish-yellow in the logo, or low-tide teal polos that use the aforementioned azure and yellow on the liner. I’m a bit sad that the beautiful blue hat only has a white scripted “M”, an interesting move away from the collection’s motif, but the colors make a pleasant return in the logo for the seersucker hat, it’s bluish beige lines also carrying over to the St. Tropez seersucker shirt and the Cannes pleated trouser. While shades of blue are the anchor of every piece so far, there is a nice little beige-centric set that brings a more land and sand focused vibe while maintaining the coastal themes felt throughout in the details. A lone black t-shirt is a nice cap on this collection, bringing something that stands out while still feeling like it exists within this space. Even in this small sized drop, there are multiple t-shirt designs, multiple colors for each of these designs, multiple types of jackets and pants, clothes for golf and for the yacht, all bringing a large enough mix to create a whole wardrobe of Cote d Azure splendor.

Even by Malbon’s insane world-hopping standards, this is a fun one. While the Jimmy Choo collection was a direct mashup of golf culture and luxury fashion, it is otherwise not often we see Malbon diving so deep into worlds of luxury and opulent culture. But, true to its mission, Malbon dives deep so it can swim back to the surface and share these worlds with the people as a whole. As Malbon continues to grow, they have been able to shape their vision through golf and bring it to other facets of the world at large. This is one of the few collections I have seen from Malbon where a majority of the pieces are not made for the course, but I think that is a part of Malbon’s mission that we have not even gotten to yet. Can anything be considered golf clothing, even if it traditionally has nothing to do with golf? When I first look at this collection of button downs and cardigans and pleated trousers, the only “golf ready” clothes I see are the polos. I believe that Malbon is starting to close in on something that marks the next step in golf fashion; absolutely smashing the traditional view on what is considered golf clothing. As I said before, the same company who just released a collection based on luxury and grandeur, just made waves last week for fitting their Tour pro up in a sweatsuit. Traditionally, clothes are dubbed as not for golf if they are too casual, but Malbon immediately jumps to other side of the coin, making clothes that almost seem too fancy for golf. The truth lies right in the middle of it all; Malbon doesn’t make golf clothes anymore, they make clothes that you can wear when you golf. Right now, a lot of what you can wear in golf is dictated by centuries old rules and almost centuries old people. Imagine showing people 20 years ago Malbon Golf, Eastside, Students, Metalwood, etc. The next 20 years are going to be out of this world, and into many many others, all connected though the threads of style, culture, golf, and a love for that which is dope.

Shop the collection here.