The word quiet can be used in a variety of ways. It can be a noun, an adjective or a verb. When it comes to Quiet Golf, a contemporary sportswear brand based in Southern California, it’s more like a way of thinking. It describes QG’s approach to the game, its apparel and even its new store.
If you’re someone with an affinity for streetwear, you’ll feel your heart start racing a bit as you browse through its website, where the store section is labeled as “Pro Shop.” A majority of the items are made of natural fibers, branding is tasteful and the usage of patterns is measured.
But for Quiet Golf, the pro shop isn’t just a corner of the internet anymore. It’s a real place located in Costa Mesa, where the brand opened its first ever flagship store on July 8. The store will primarily house its products, select guest brands and QG’s first ever footwear model, a collaboration with PUMA Golf, for a limited time.
Although the golf scene is popping off in LA with labels like Metalwood located in La Brea and Malbon‘s new store having just opened in West Hollywood, Quiet Golf believes its OC roots are part of what makes it unique. Most people know Costa Mesa for Huntington Beach and OG surf brands like RVCA, but similar to how the LA brands turned golf into a culturally relevant sport among skaters, the same thing has been happening among surfers. And Quiet Golf is hoping its new flagship becomes something of a cultural center for that demographic and young creatives who have been relocating to the area.
The Quiet Golf team is primarily comprised of three co-founders: Christion Lennon, who started the brand Museum of Peace & Quiet, and brothers Raul Diaz and Diego Diaz, all of whom have a background in design and brand building. We spoke to all three to learn more about the design and inspiration for the new store and how it matches the ethos of the brand and also touched on its appearance at Paris Fashion Week.
Quiet Golf
Hypebeast: The word “quiet” is ingrained in golf. You think about golf courses as a place to get away, you go to pro tournaments and people are holding signs that say “Quiet Please.” Is using that word meant to reinforce that feeling, or is it kind of ironic in a way?
Christion Lennon: I think it’s a little bit of both, it is a play on words. Golf for us is like a meditation. Some people go on runs, others go rock climbing or mountain biking. But for us golf is a way to get outside, get away from your phone and have some quiet time for yourself.
Diego Diaz: And it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re golfing quiet, you know what I mean? It’s more that it quiets the noise of everyday life when you’re golfing.
And from a fashion angle, the golf industry has been obsessed with loud prints and crazy shirts. But Quiet Golf is kind of the opposite of that, no?
CL: Yeah, I mean I’m not going to name names, but they’re kind of like stretchy, pink, very loud polos, animal drawings and stuff like that. And I feel like we’re getting back to the classics of very evergreen, Americana golf apparel. That’s kind of where I draw the inspiration from as far the designs.
“Some people go on runs, others go rock climbing or mountain biking. But for us golf is a way to get outside, get away from your phone and have some quiet time for yourself.” – Christion Lennon
Moving on, we know you just opened your first flagship store in Orange County, California. For someone who’s not so familiar with the area, tell us about Costa Mesa and why you chose that location.
CL: It’s definitely off the beaten path. It’s kind of creating our own path. It’s about 45 minutes from LA, between LA and San Diego in Orange County. But this is actually a pretty big fashion destination, Costa Mesa, like low key within Southern California.
We all live relatively close to it and decided OC is where we wanted to set our roots down. This is where we golf, hang out, get coffee, and all of our kids are out here. It’s a small suburban area, but it’s definitely a place that we call home.
DD: It’s finally being able to showcase our product in the way that we want it to be showcased. You know, paying homage to the traditional pro shops, country clubs, but also adding a contemporary touch. We’re in a lot of retailers and it’s cool, but we’re sitting on shelves next to brands and things that don’t necessarily align with us, which is the case with anyone. So it’s just cool to fully curate our own space and we plan to bring in some close friends of ours and just keep it really tight and curated. We also got a simulator in there, which is huge, and a putting green out front.
“We pay homage to the game and the history of it, but we’re young entrepreneurs and creatives. So that contemporary spin flows into the space, the materials that were chosen.” – Raul Diaz
Is it important for the brand to not just have an online presence, but to also interact with the customers in real life?
Raul Diaz: Yeah, I think with golf there’s a big community building aspect. We’re all golfers, and at the end of the day having the store can be an anchor of doing events, collab events and all that stuff. We’re going to be able to house a lot of other brands and do partnerships out of the space. So it’s cool to have that and for people to meet us in general. Obviously the digital space is huge and there’s a lot of potential there. But the brick and mortar is back after Covid, I think people are wanting to experience things again and go in and touch clothing rather than just see it online.
So I think there’s like a lot of potential with that. And the community aspect is going to be huge, especially out here in Orange County. To piggyback off of what Christion was saying, there are a few brands already doing it in LA, and the space is getting crowded. But Orange County has a lot of golf, there are a lot of young creatives in the space. So it’s like we’re the new golfer and it’s just cool to have a space for people to come shop that and feel that.
Quiet Golf
What about the interior of the space? Who designed it and what’s the aesthetic?
RD: I mean, that was a collaborative effort in our team. I do that on the side, interior design and all that stuff. But at the end of the day it was a collaborative effort for the design and the function of the space. The aesthetics and the inspiration were drawn from the country club vibe, but not as stuffy. A little more contemporary, more minimal, just a spin.
It’s just like our brand, we pay homage to the game and the history of it, but we’re young entrepreneurs and creatives. So that contemporary spin flows into the space, the materials that were chosen. I feel like we have a lot of architectural aspects to the brand, and it comes off in some of the graphics and wording that we use. So it’s fun to have that finally showcased as well.
“It speaks volumes to be able to be out there as a golf brand at Paris Fashion Week, to be showing a golf collection. It shows you where the game is going.” – Raul Diaz
Quiet Golf was one of a few golf brands out at Paris Fashion Week last month. What was the goal of being there? Was this your first time going?
CL: Yeah we were showing our Spring/Summer 2024 collection, as well as a special collab that’s coming out next year to potential retailers.
It was actually our first time. And I think for a golf brand to be at Paris Fashion Week is definitely a first. We could have done the PGA Show in Florida, and we can do the MAGIC Trade Show in Vegas. But I think with all of us coming from like more of a streetwear, architecture and contemporary background, starting with more of the fashion focused retailers was a good idea.
RD: And just to like add what to what Christian was saying, it speaks volumes to be able to be out there as a golf brand at Paris Fashion Week, to be showing a golf collection. It shows you where the game is going. Like Chris was saying, the PGA Show and all of those trade shows go on all the time. But Paris? It just shows you that golf is infiltrating the market and it’s super exciting to be a part of that culture.