California Apparel News

Canadian-born twin brothers Chip and Pepper Foster are riding a current wave of success with their clothing line Golf Punk and retail stores of the same name, but this is just the latest apparel-related endeavor for the two.

The twins entered the fashion design arena nearly 15 years ago as teens—and landed their own TV show as a result—before creating Golf Punk, which was named Best New Collection at Sportswear International’s 2002 Fashion Awards.

The Foster brothers began in Canada’s fashion industry in 1986 with Wetwear, a beach and surf line that was promoted on “Much Music,” Canada’s version of MTV. They brought the line to America in 1989, debuting at the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo in San Diego, where, according to Chip Foster, they booked $3 million in orders.

“We also [designed] shoes [styled] like Vans, and sold 57,000 pairs to Foot Locker during MAGIC [International during the same year], and we weren’t even [living] in America yet,” recalled Pepper Foster.

The twins said that during MAGIC, their unusually high energy was observed by a group of producers who convinced them to create a television demo, which was picked up by NBC.

The twins were given a four-year deal at NBC to produce “Chip and Pepper Cartoon Madness,” which Pepper Foster describes as “live action with cool clothes. It was like ’MTV Sports’ for kids, with a lesson at the end.”

While riding high on the TV show, the Foster brothers struck a licensing deal for their clothing with Los Angeles-based B.U.M. Equipment, which, according to Pepper Foster, resulted in the loss of their line.

“In 1991, we lost Chip and Pepper Wetwear, because we trusted someone who was a father figure to us,” he said. “We were young and wanted to focus on creativity.”

Following the loss of their clothing line, the twins took time out to surf and snowboard, according to Chip Foster, but soon returned to fashion with a scratch-n-sniff T-shirt line called Smellies.

In 1995, the twins launched Golf Punk as a vintage clothing retail store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, featuring “cherry-picked” vintage NM70 shoes, Rusty and Ocean Pacific clothing. Their strongest-selling item was vintage jeans, which led them to launch their own label.

“We knew there was a market for it,” said Chip Foster. “I love vintage denim—that’s how the business grew. I did the retail part of it and Pepper took care of the wholesale part. People kept asking us about vintage jeans, so we started making our own, under the brand Golf Punk.”

Golf Punk Clothing launched in 1995, with the majority of its offerings consisting of women’s vintage apparel, but the twins have since been gradually adding menswear items. According to Chip Foster, the line has a cult-like following, drawing in loyal consumers including celebrities Britney Spears, Brandy, Winona Ryder, rap group Outkast and vocal group Destiny’s Child, the last of whom partially shot their first music video inside the Golf Punk retail store.

The name Golf Punk was originally Pepper Foster’s nickname, given to him because of his penchant for golf-styled clothing. The original Golf Punk line accordingly featured plaids, but it diverged from traditional golfwear with the addition of newly designed prints and logos on track suits, denims and cords.

Pepper Foster explained that in the three Golf Punk retail stores, consumers from all walks of life come in and tell them what they are wearing and what they are looking for.The contents of the stores and the designs of the Golf Punk line are heavy on bottoms, based on the trends that the twins have observed.

“We’re so close to the street; we deal with the kids, so we can turn around and make the stuff that looks hot,” said Pepper Foster.

“Everyone [who orders] is going heavy on bottoms, and heavy on denim,” added Chip Foster. “We can stay on top, because we know what’s going on with people and what’s in their closet.”

Pepper Foster emphasized that the brothers’ specialty is super-low-cut jeans for women.

“There are other low-cut jean designers for women that are huge, but their quality is poor,” he said. “We are the kings of super-low jeans.”

The Golf Punk line is carried in several boutique stores, including American Rag and Yellow Rat Bastard, as well as in the two Golf Punk stores on Melrose and a third one on nearby Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade.

In addition to marketing their own line of clothing, the twins also plan to bring their images back to television and will release a rock album in early 2002.