JOEY CARTZ AIMS TO BRING PERSONALITY BACK TO GOLF APPAREL
By: Erica Commisso
Clothing line Joey Cartz was officially unveiled to the city of Toronto, and to the fashion market, at Startup Fashion Week. And every look that went down the runway, the founders say, was born out of a desire to make golf apparel more fun.
Joe Ferrara, Joe Mantia and Gus Mantia are three friends who love to golf together, and they decided that the fun they have on the course should be reflected in what they wear. They have never found anything on the market with enough personality, so they decided to create their own.
Credit: @jimorgillphotography
“Golf apparel has been stuck for a long time. Same silhouettes, same formulas, just different logos,” the trio says. And they want to change that. “We are pulling from eras when style had more confidence and personality, then reinterpreting that through a modern lens. It’s not about being loud for the sake of it. It’s about being distinct and instantly recognizable.”
The three friends have dubbed their design inspiration “rebellious vintage,” incorporating the confidence and character of classic golf, but reworking it for modern golfers in a way that doesn’t pull from nostalgia or a sense of costume. “Vintage is the inspiration. Rebellious is how we execute it. We are not following what modern golf apparel has become,” they say. “We are stepping outside of it and building something with personality, edge and a clear point of view.”
Credit: Joey Cartz
Part of that point of view is creating a line that appeals to both men and women–with designs for the latter being often overlooked in golf apparel. “The women we know who golf consistently say the same thing: Everything looks the same or feels borrowed from other sports,” the founders say. “There is very little identity. If we’re building a brand around individuality and expression, that has to apply equally. The goal is the same across both the men’s and women’s lines. Confidence, presence and something that actually stands apart.”
The idea is to disrupt the market by bringing in clothes that are a little edgy and less polished than typical attire, and offering it to both men and women to give them the opportunity to express themselves without sacrificing the fundamentals of golf apparel. They’ll still be optimized for performance, made from breathable, flexible materials that are made to move. But they’ll just be a little more fun than other pieces.
Credit: @jimorgillphotography
Despite the newness of the brand, the Joey Cartz team says they have been overwhelmed with positive feedback on the brand so far. “People connect with it right away, even before seeing the full product,” they say. “That tells us we are building something with real differentiation.”
And Startup Fashion Week, they say, can only amplify their voice. “We are entering fashion from outside the traditional system, so being in that environment matters,” the trio says. “Startup Fashion Week gave us access to people who understand design, storytelling and how brands are built visually. It’s also a way to introduce Joey Cartz properly, beyond the world of golf, and into a broader conversation around style.