Harry Hart and Nick Mowbray, pictured at Gretchen Hawkesby’s 50th birthday party in 2024.<\/p>\n
Hawkesby says Albi isn\u2019t trying to be everywhere straight away.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the end of this month, the brand will be available exclusively through a small group of premium golf clubs around New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of those is Tara Iti<\/a>, north of Auckland, where Hawkesby\u2019s father Duncan, Uncle Harry and Graeme and Robyn Hart are shareholders. Te Arai Links<\/a>, Jack\u2019s Point<\/a> in Queenstown and Arrowtown Golf Club are among the clubs expected to stock Albi in the coming months.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Hawkesby, Harry\u2019s fianc\u00e9e, Australian heiress Cartier Lee<\/a>, and family friend broadcaster Laura McGoldrick<\/a> were among a group of female golfers wearing Albi on the Tara Iti course.<\/p>\n Hawkesby\u2019s career started in Dunedin, where she worked for the Herald\u2019s parent company NZME while completing her Bachelor of Commerce in marketing at the University of Otago.<\/p>\n \u201cI worked part-time as a Lower South Island promotions co-ordinator and absolutely loved it. Radio is such a fun, fast-paced industry, and working alongside people like Callum and P from The Hits Breakfast Dunedin, and seeing how passionate they were about what they did, made it a pretty great place to start.\u201d<\/p>\n She says she was lucky to have two managers who encouraged her to get involved in everything and learn beyond her role.<\/p>\n After graduating, Hawkesby moved to Wellington, where her boyfriend, cricketer Jesse Tashkoff, was based playing domestically. She applied for more than 60 marketing jobs and, after \u201crejection\u201d and \u201cghosting\u201d, was thrilled to land a role with Kiwi skincare brand Antipodes in Wellington in January last year.<\/p>\n \u201cI joined Antipodes as the PR lead and worked closely with founder Elizabeth Barbalich. She\u2019s built such an incredible international business, and I learnt so much from her.\u201d<\/p>\n While Tashkoff played the UK summer for Harpenden Cricket Club\u2019s First XI, Hawkesby spent a few months with the Antipodes UK team in Harpenden, just outside London, doing everything from PR and influencer relationships to working with retailers and customers on the shop floor.<\/p>\n Hawkesby says her new role has come at the perfect time.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter being away from Auckland since starting university, I was ready to move home and be closer to family and friends following my little UK stint.\u201d<\/p>\n She went straight from Antipodes to Albi and is already working on the brand\u2019s second collection.<\/p>\n \u201cAlbi takes a lot of inspiration from fashion in the way it approaches colour, shape and construction, while still making sure everything actually works on the golf course,\u201d Hawkesby says.<\/p>\n The range features luxe Australasian merino alongside technical fabrics, UV protection and functional detailing.<\/p>\n \u201cEven things like towelling-lined pockets have been thought about, which I think is such a nice touch,\u201d Hawkesby says.<\/p>\n While retail pricing is being finalised, Hawkesby says the brand is comparable to Greyson Clothiers, the high-end US golf and lifestyle label, where polos sell for around $200.<\/p>\n Albi has worked with several golfers over the past two years to get their input into the range.<\/p>\n The Albi logo features an albatross with an A, a nod to performing an albatross in golf \u2013 scoring three under par on a single hole.<\/p>\n \u201c[A golf albatross] is incredibly rare and also has such a nice connection back to New Zealand. It also ties into another part of the brand philosophy, A Life Built Intentionally,\u201d Hawkesby says.<\/p>\n Another brand motto is \u201cIn Quiet Pursuit\u201d, which comes from the idea that everyone is quietly pursuing something, on the course and off it. Hawkesby likens it to a practice swing.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore you hit a shot, you\u2019d usually have a swing, get a feel for it and work out where you\u2019re trying to go before actually committing to it. There\u2019s something quite cool in that idea outside of golf too. We\u2019re all figuring things out as we go, but hopefully with some idea of where we\u2019re heading.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawkesby says she\u2019s early in her career but has been \u201cincredibly lucky\u201d with the people she\u2019s worked with so far and is excited to bring her experience to her work with Albi.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s honestly such a fun stage to join a brand because there is so much happening behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n She says she is loving learning every side of a start-up.<\/p>\n \u201cNew Zealand is very much the starting point, with Australia and the US in sight further down the track, which is super exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Albi\u2019s first major activation will be at Kiwibank Chasing the Fox at Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club on December 11.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really excited to be producing the event\u2019s apparel and merchandise collection for Superette this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Smaller activations will come through supporting amateur golf, \u201cparticularly the young women making moves in the sport\u201d, and the brand is exploring ways to bring Albi to life beyond the pro shop with clubs and events over summer.<\/p>\n Albi is building relationships with professional golfers, but is just as keen to hear from everyday golfers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to speak to both men and women about what they actually want to wear, what they feel is missing and what they would love to see next. Those conversations will play a big part in where the brand goes from here.\u201d<\/p>\n Party People of the Week<\/p>\n Disruptors Carpark Dinner<\/p>\n About 300 founders and funders gathered last week for Auckland Start-up Week\u2019s<\/a> Disruptors\u2019 Dinner at Wilson Parking\u2019s Karangahape Road carpark.<\/p>\n With a theme of rebellion, guests were told to meet on Karangahape Rd before they were moved through the Lim Chhour food court and supermarket into the carpark for drinks and dumplings, Squid Game-style performers and a graffiti wall. Dinner was served in a marquee on the rooftop, with a performance by tenor Jack Bourke<\/a>, who sang from a balcony in the Ironbank building.<\/p>\n The Ella Mizrahi and Oliver Driver-produced event included a video of Mayor Wayne Brown that screened on the George Court building, and performers who robotically served guests pavlova for dessert.<\/p>\n Guests included Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and her husband, former National Party president Peter Goodfellow, councillors Victoria Short and Richard Hills, Auckland Council start-up programme manager Keren Phillips, communications pioneer Annette Presley, Accordant NZ programme director Dale Clareburt and creative entrepreneur Gus Simonovic.<\/p>\n An Evening with Isabel Estate at Return<\/p>\nLaura McGoldrick, Cartier Lee and Jemima Hawkesby wearing Albi at Tara Iti.<\/p>\n
Jemima Hawkesby on graduation day with her grandparents, Robyn and Graeme Hart.<\/p>\n
Jesse Tashkoff with Jemima Hawkesby at her graduation last year from the University of Otago. <\/p>\n
Jemima Hawkesby in Cannes in the Euro summer.<\/p>\n
Designs from new luxury golfwear brand Albi.<\/p>\n
The Albi logo has a nod to performing an albatross in golf. <\/p>\n
Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson with Annette Presley and Peter Goodfellow at the Disruptors\u2019 Dinner. Photo \/ David St George <\/p>\n
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Pam Ford, Marissa Brindley and Erica Lloyd. Photo \/ David St George
Councillors Victoria Short and Richard Hills. Photo \/ David St George
Dale Clareburt and Keren Phillips. Photo \/ David St George
Gus Simonovic and Noora Ruskola. Photo \/ David St George
Kenyon Shankie and Kat Lintott. Photo \/ David St George
Samantha Clyma and Olivia Donaldson. Photo \/ David St George
DJ Alisha Paul. Photo \/ David St George <\/p>\n