STYLE POINTS
n A LOVE OF GOLF LED TO THE LAUNCH OF JOHNNIE-O BY joel Beers
T
here are clothing makers that
tap into an existing market to
capitalize on the popular fad
of the moment, and then there
are companies like johnnie-O.
While the brand produces an all-inclu-
sive line of men's and boys' apparel from
cotton and tech fabric golf shirts to swim
trunks, dress shirts and even sports coats,
founder John O'Donnell's love of the game
that he has played for most of his life is the
reason the business exists.
O'Donnell grew up on the north shore
of Chicago in the town of Winnetka. It was
not exactly the Milan of the Midwest.
"This was a town where blue blazers,
khaki pants, penny loafers and 'alligator'
shirts were pretty much the norm,"
O'Donnell said. "Then I moved to South-
ern California to attend school at UCLA,
where I saw fewer blue blazers and more
board shorts. The johnnie-O line was
born out of an idea I had that would marry
the two worlds."
O'Donnell, whose younger brother is
actor Chris O'Donnell of "NCIS: Los An-
geles" fame, has long borne the nickname
johnnie-O. He has been an avid golfer
from an early age and even competed in
two U.S. Amateur Championships and
five U.S Mid-Amateur Championships.
In 2005, O'Donnell launched his apparel
line in large part to "give his golfing bud-
dies some more stylish options," said Rob
Stofflet, the company's West Coast regional
sales representative. "Most people think
we are only a few years old, but the brand
was started more than a decade ago. It was
really a side hustle for John the first several
years, and while it was easy to double the
business when the numbers were small, it
has been just the past two or three years
that we have seen tremendous growth and
brand awareness in the golf industry."
johnnie-O founder
John O'Donnell.
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
x
SUMMER 2018
x
obsports.com
l
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
>>>
