FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
EquipmentFORE Her
Home›Equipment›KINONA: One Size Does Not Fit All

KINONA: One Size Does Not Fit All

By Madison Lomas
July 24, 2018
4138
0
Share:

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is in the air. Sleep is still in my eyes. I’m on the phone with the staff of KINONA, a brand new golf apparel brand for women. It needed to be quick, because Co-Founder Tami Fujii had a trunk show to run in 20 minutes. Luckily, time wasn’t a problem. These women were passionate yet concise on their vision for the Los Angeles-based company.

Weeks prior, I was sent samples of the product and immediately noticed KINONA was different. Their bold yet clean lines and blue color palette are something to appreciate. Its simple patterns are admirable, especially if the bright and patterned design is not for you. Also very comfortable, the clothes move with every step you take. There is no need for tugging and adjusting in between swings— something I had been accustomed to from years of golf tournaments while dressed in stuffy, blocky college uniforms by mainstream brands (who will remain nameless). KINONA understood this dilemma and wanted to create something fresh and unique.

“We didn’t want ‘athletic’ golf wear or anything that could look like menswear,” said Dianne Jefferies Celuch, KINONA co-founder and Porter Valley CC member. “We build shaping into our garments, but they are also appropriate for a work environment.”

Dianne and Tami have spent their fair share of time on the golf course and just like a lot of you, they were spending money on golf wear that was not appealing or comfortable. But what sets them apart is having entire careers in the apparel business. These two met while working together at Eddie Bauer and since then they’ve added names like Speedo, Levi Strauss & Co. and Ann Taylor Inc on their resumes. With Fujii’s background in business and marketing and Jefferies Celuch’s background in product development and textiles, it’s a match made in heaven.

“We just hated how masculine the golf apparel industry was and nothing out there really satisfied our needs,” said Fujii, the Oregon State graduate. “We had the contacts and experience to start a golf apparel line and we just thought it was now or never.”

With a goal of creating not only a comfortable, confident product for women to wear for “golf and life,” KINONA—meaning “Shape” in Hawaiian—strives to promote a better industry for all women involved. Jefferies Celuch and Fujii wanted to create a brand of their own and provide new opportunities for women in golf fashion.

“We seek out women professionals and entrepreneurs to support us so we can properly represent women’s interests,” Fujii said.

And they’re doing that. With a couple of exceptions, their entire staff consists of women. The goal? Offer great-looking clothing that is available for women of all shapes and sizes. With this in mind and the incredible resumes of two standouts in the apparel industry, they are making great strides in the challenging golf apparel market. KINONA launched earlier this year and has never looked back.

“We believe it’s much larger than the clothes we are making,” Fujii said. “We want to help remove the intimidation of the game.”

Just like the promptness of our early morning phone call, the arrival of KINONA is right on time. We’ve needed a fresh take on the industry and while it’ll be an uphill battle in this challenging landscape, I see that they have the right tools and support to make a change for women in the game.

 

To learn more about KINONA visit kinonasport.com

Previous Article

Planting The Seed: LA City Golf

Next Article

SCGA Junior Scholars: First All-Female Graduating Class

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Madison Lomas

Related articles More from author

  • Gena Dells
    FORE Her

    Heart and Soul

    June 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine
  • Equipment

    Totally Tacky

    July 31, 2018
    By Scott Kramer
  • EquipmentWinter 2022

    Minimal Approach: MNML Golf’s Quest to Create the Modern Golf Bag

    January 24, 2022
    By Scott Kramer
  • FORE HerProfilesWinter 2018

    An Evolving Talent

    February 2, 2018
    By Mike James
  • Equipment

    Innovative New Clubfaces

    January 7, 2019
    By Scott Kramer
  • Equipment

    Fitted Like A Champ

    March 14, 2018
    By Scott Kramer

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedFirst CutWinter 2023

    Talking It Out: What’s a Round Without a Recap?

  • FeaturedGolf GroupsWinter 2023

    Club Spotlight: FOREGALS Golf

  • FeaturedTravelWinter 2023

    Cactus Makes Perfect: Travelin’ Joe’s Top Six 36-Hole Arizona Desert Courses you can Play

  • FeaturedProfilesWinter 2023

    A Modern Throwback: Cole Young Calls his Own Shots

  • FeaturedThe PodiumWinter 2023

    Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

FeaturedThe PodiumWinter 2023

Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

In what can be viewed as an unprecedented, albeit unofficial baton pass, the Coachella Valley is trading one pro golf tour for another this spring. As many will recall, last ...
  • New Year’s Daze: Looking Forward and Looking Back at your Handicap

    By Kevin O'Connor
    February 7, 2023
  • Grass by Design: Pure Research Yields New Strains of Drought-Tolerant Grass

    By Craig Kessler
    February 7, 2023
  • Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

    By David Weiss
    February 7, 2023
  • Making a Future in Golf a Reality: Skylar Graham and the Pathways Internship

    By Ken Van Vechten
    February 7, 2023
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise