Fashion Insider: Poulter details big plans for clothing company
By Man In The Black Hat
If you sit back in your club chair and put your feet up on that ottoman for a moment to think about it, golf pretty much stands alone in allowing players to demonstrate their personal style to a level that can't be matched by athletes in team sports.
Darn those uniform restrictions!
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And without question, the biggest fish in the golf fashion scene on any tour, anywhere in the world, is Ian James Poulter. He exemplifies the extent to which a player can express his personality through his on-course wardrobe.
From week to week, Poulter successfully balances both life on the PGA TOUR and his eponymous clothing line IJP Design, making him the undisputed heavyweight champion of golf haberdashery.
Recently, Poulter took time out to discuss the origins of IJP Design, how his collections are formulated, including those from the Tavistock Cup, with The Man In The Black Hat.
BLACK HAT: Though your affinity and flair for fashion was clear from your earliest days on TOUR, what was it that sparked the launch of IJP Design?
IAN POULTER: I launched IJP Design four years ago in July 2007, after being unable to find clothes I wanted to wear on the golf course that both looked good and performed well. I wanted to combine high-quality tailoring with technical perfection, and I think we've achieved that.
BLACK HAT: How often do you meet with the IJP team, and how much time during any given week might you spend working on IJP versus say, your short game? Is there a healthy ratio that you adhere to strictly?
POULTER: At the start, I was very much involved in the designs, the cuts, the tartan weave (which is registered with the Scottish Tartan Authority) -- and I designed the logo myself. Now I've got my amazing team behind me who know exactly what I like, so they pretty much get on with it. I'll phone up Lucia, my Head Designer, and tell her about new ideas I've had, how the clothes performed in the heat/cold/wet etc. and we'll make changes here and there, but Lucia and her team do the main legwork.
The greatest value I can bring to the brand is my design details that I love to get involved in and the product testing, I am fastidious about ensuring all our garments not only look great, but perform. Things are going well for me on the course at the moment and I realize that, whilst I enjoy being Ian Poulter the businessman, I have to concentrate on my golf first and foremost at the moment.
BLACK HAT: Though I assume you're not sitting down and cutting out patterns, can you take describe the IJP creative process?
POULTER: Each collection starts with the Poulter tartan, and four different color palettes are designed in this tartan. IJP has a "lead with the legs" philosophy and these color palettes then dictate the rest of the collection, with shirts, sweaters, shorts, trousers, hats, belts etc. designed using these colors. My involvement is threefold. Firstly the inspiration and choosing of colors, secondly testing the clothes and reporting back in detail to the design team who use my feedback from the course to make adjustments. And thirdly as brand ambassador!
BLACK HAT: Without question, no one puts any more thought into what they're wearing from day to day than you. How much time do you estimate you spend thinking about various combinations and permutations -- from visors to FJs -- on a daily or weekly basis?
POULTER: Surprisingly little! I know what I like and what I feel I look good in so picking outfits and accessories is quite easy. As I said above the four palettes in each collection of IJP are designed so that the colors from each tartan dictate to rest of the collection so coordinating an outfit is easy!
BLACK HAT: In comparison, how much time do you think the average weekend warrior puts in to what he's wearing, and is it nearly enough?
POULTER: Probably not! And I think sometimes people don't realize that it's possible to look stylish as well as wear technical and functional clothes on the course ... It's very important at IJP to fuse fashion and functionality.
BLACK HAT: What one thing would you say to help a guy look good on the golf course?
POULTER: Be yourself. You play your best when you feel comfortable. IJP has been known to be all about colorful styles and unique designs but we have also made a real effort to cater for all personalities and tastes. Aside from the trademark tartan trousers, there are many classic, stylish pieces which suit the more conservative dressers.
BLACK HAT: While IJP does outfit touring professionals other than yourself, is there any one player that you would love to see wearing IJP? If so, why?
POULTER: I'd love to get all the top boys in IJP. Perhaps an IJP Design Ryder Cup uniform one day?
BLACK HAT: If you were forced to choose one over another -- a playing career in golf or a career as a successful fashion designer -- which would you choose and why?
POULTER: That's not fair! I like to think I can do both! Obviously I have to divide my time appropriately but I have such a great team at IJP Design that I am able to and love having both passions in my life.
BLACK HAT: Where do you see the IJP brand 10 or even 20 years from today?
POULTER: My ambition for IJP is for it to become the leading global golf and lifestyle brand. We are expanding all the time and for the next few years we have some exciting plans! First we are doing a kids range, which will launch in spring/summer 2012. Then watch this space for the ladies range after that. I will be wearing IJP for the rest of my life and hope my kids and grandkids will too.
FASHION AT THE TAVISTOCK CUP
IJP Design has been the uniform provider of record for the Tavistock Cup in recent years, and each year Tavistock Cup organizers brief IJP Design, usually with one goal in mind -- to push the traditional golf apparel envelope.
Poulter and Joe Lewis, head of Tavistock Group, share a passion for English Premier League football (Lewis is the owner of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club of the English Premier League), and there has been a distinctly football flavor to the Tavistock Cup team uniforms in recent years.
At the 2011 Tavistock Cup, IJP Design gave players an option between a zip collar and a v-neck, the v-neck drawing inspiration directly from football kits. Both Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell opted for the v-neck collar version.
Said Poulter of the Tavistock Cup uniforms: "The four color palettes within this collection are made up of a Signature, Fashion, Sport and the Limited Edition White Watch. The Signature palette is made up of colors that I love and are current. The Fashion palette is inspired by the catwalk shows. The Sport palette is quite 'retro chic,' I guess. And finally the Limited Edition White Watch incorporates the brand's house colors of the cool grey and the famous Poulter Pink. My lucky color!"
The Man in the Black Hat is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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