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Malbon, the golf-focused apparel brand, was everywhere this year, and its expansion wasn’t limited to the golf course.
Founded by husband-and-wife Stephen and Erica Malbon in 2017, the brand has gained notoriety for bringing edgy, fashion-forward designs to the golf course. But in 2025, it went beyond golf with its marketing, showing up at the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in October and working with non-golf celebrities like Schoolboy Q. It also raised $33 million in funding led by Anthos Capital.
But the most helpful thing Malbon did for the business this year, its founders said, was finally bringing in other leaders to help manage the growing business. Malbon hired Nike alumni Rebecca Jury as chief product officer, Aaron Heiser as CEO and Pierre Martin as the new CMO.
“Expanding the leadership team is really helping Stephen and I dive deeper into the creative process and be more focused on design and creative,” Erica Malbon said. “It’s the best use of our skills, and it means we don’t have to do everything ourselves.”
Malbon’s products, which range in price from around $68-$200, are sold through its direct channels and wholesale retailers including Nordstrom.
The founders identified several opportunities for the future as the company’s revenue approaches $200 million. They include expanding into international markets, particularly China, and catering to sports beyond golf.
“We’re really thinking about everything through the lens of ‘And golf,'” Stephen Malbon said. “That’s how people think. They’re into music and golf. They’re into tennis and golf. So, we’re doing the Malbon Golf & Hunt Club [a hunting and clay shooting-themed collection], we’re doing Malbon run clubs, and we’re doing Malbon Golf & Tackle [a fishing-themed collection].”
The company’s most recent bit of eclectic brand building was a capsule collection released in early December in collaboration with the Grateful Dead, joining other fashion brands like Alice + Olivia that have worked with the iconic rock band.
Tennis, in particular, is one area Malbon has its sights on, Erica Malbon said.
“We both have a strong love of tennis,” she said. “It’s a very natural progression for us.”
