Hip-Hop artists starting their own clothing brands is nothing new. Jay-Z founded Rocawear, Diddy made Sean John, and even Pharrell started Billionaire Boys Club. But it’s not every day that a rapper creates a brand primarily on a sport that hasn’t been the most welcoming to the music. Grammy winner Macklemore founded Bogey Boys in 2021, a clothing brand focused on bringing style back to golf, while simultaneously bringing more players with it in the process. Each piece is cut-and-sew and covered with bold designs not often seen on the green. Macklemore and his team hope to lure in a new set of players to the game of golf through versatile apparel options that can be worn on and off the course.
To learn more about the brand, we chatted with Bogey Boy’s general manager, and Macklemore’s manager, Ben Secord, touching on topics of inclusivity, design processes, and the evolution of golf’s culture.
StockX: Is Bogey Boys for golfers or non-golfers? Is it important to be inclusive?
Ben Secord: Our mission from the beginning was to create a line of clothing that could be worn on or off the course, and it’s been awesome to see it embraced both in golf circles and by people who have never touched a golf club in their life. With that said, inclusivity is a huge part of the mission of Bogey Boys. We are a golf and lifestyle brand, so we want to appeal to golfers but we also want to provide a different take on what’s possible from a style and fashion standpoint on the course.
Our clothing pays homage to previous generations of golf clothing, drawing inspiration from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Back then, the fits were much more stylish and fashion-forward. So Bogey Boys celebrates that era of clothing but adds a modern twist for a newer generation.
Those eras of inspiration seem to be very apparent in Bogey Boys’ collections. Why the need to still hold on to those core design elements within each of the pieces?
I don’t want to go too far, speaking for my guy Macklemore, who’s the creative visionary of the brand, but I will say that taking inspiration from the past is not a new thing for him. He’s always been inspired by those eras, whether it’s vintage design or clothing, so the aesthetic is very natural. And I think it harkens to the core mission statement around Bogey Boys. Just in terms of color palettes, fits, and styles, we evolved golf from this place where it was all about performance and athletic wear. This created a certain level of repetition and monotony from brands, leading to a lack of diversity on the shelves and racks. So part of it was seeing how can we do something different? Something that is more fashionable and bold? We want people to know that there is a space for colorful and flashy garments on the course.
Do you think there is any correlation between creating music and creating Bogey Boys? Does one type of inspiration seep into the other or vice versa?
Macklemore is truly an artist and creative and what I have observed of him as a musician, I also see that show up in the Bogey Boys’ design phase. When he is working on an album or new music, his entire focus and energy goes into it. He’s imagining and envisioning, not just how the music will sound but visually, what does it look like out in the world? The same sort of process is playing out on the Bogey Boys’ side. This is the opposite of a celebrity just rubber-stamping a brand that’s in their name and likeness. Every single sample is sent to his house directly so that he can touch and feel the fabrics, and try the clothes on. He stays up and does Zoom sessions with our lead designer until one in the morning. He’s thinking about the design side of Bogey Boys and wanting it to be just right in a very similar way that he pours himself into music.
What does Bogey Boys hope to contribute to the evolving golf culture?
We’re in this moment where the game is growing. A lot of things that golf has stood for traditionally are about exclusion and misogyny and homophobia and racism. But now there’s a moment where all of that is being reevaluated and changing actively and in really positive ways. I think having, not just Bogey Boys, but a lot of other brands, influencers, and golfers starting to really see the exclusionary practices of golf’s past creates an opportunity to shift that narrative, expand the game, and make it more available and accessible. There’s a long way to go still, but I think being a brand that is really about bringing younger folks into the game and promoting more fun within the sport grows the tent of who’s going to be involved in it.
Have you seen the effects of your brand actually have any influence on people’s approach to golf?
Yeah, 100%. I’m smiling because I felt that from Macklemore. I brought him out to golf at the end of 2018. I dragged him and his brother out to play nine holes with me and my dad. I think I was the only one that wanted to golf that day. Golf just was not what he wanted to be a part of it. He was saying how the game “takes forever”, “It’s slow”, “it’s for old white retired men”, and “somebody’s gonna yell at me on the course”. But when he got on the course and hit one shot, it changed his entire opinion of the sport.
Essentially, he was that guy that thought golf was whack. But he had an experience playing it that changed his perspective and, very quickly, came to the conclusion that he’s really into golf and wanted the clothes to match. He saw just the lack of exciting options or lack of options that he thought were stylish or cool that he wanted to wear. And therein was the idea to start the brand.
Now with Bogey Boys, when we’re out at golf events or when people come into our store in Seattle, people say “I should get into golf” or “I should try playing golf”. There’s just this moment where, for whatever reason, a sport that probably never registered to you before, you’re all of a sudden saying to yourself “That looks kind of fun”.
Why is partnering with StockX for Divots in the Desert a good fit for Bogey Boys?
I think it speaks to the cultural moment that we’re in with golf and its worldview. If you had said a few years ago that StockX was gonna be doing a golf tournament, I’m sure that probably would have been met with some stares and confusion. A brand like StockX that is affiliated and known for streetwear and sneakers being in the golf space and it not seeming strange seems like the basic phenomenon of the game is growing. There’s a new lane for participation and access and a brand like StockX wanting to be a part of that narrative and help us promote that even more is major for Bogey Boys.
Divots in the Desert starts April 14th, 2022 in Palm Springs, CA. Learn more about our Divots in the Desert invitational on our landing page and check out interviews with our other DropX partners Whim Golf, Quiet Golf, Malbon Golf, and Students Golf.
