MEET THE MAKER: Malbon x Leap

Malbon was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles by Stephen and Erica Malbon on one conviction: golf is a lifestyle, not a sport, and streetwear-inspired fashion is the entry point. The SoHo store on Crosby Street functions as the Buckets Club clubhouse, a physical home for NYC's golf community and an extension of Malbon's members-only club. The collab roster runs from Nike Golf and Budweiser to skate brands like Etnies, and most recently artist Daniel Arsham, whose collection in his signature oxidized green palette was previewed at the store in June 2026. Two things brought us here. The first is the brand itself. Malbon has done more than almost anyone to reframe golf as a cultural entry point for a younger, more diverse audience. For anyone thinking about how to grow a sport, Malbon is a useful case study. The second is the business model behind the store. This location is run by Leap, a retail-as-a-service platform that deploys and operates physical stores on behalf of brands, including staffing, operations, data, and visual merchandising. Leap manages 100+ stores across the US on this model. Emily from Leap walked us through how it works, and why a brand would partner rather than open independently: lower risk, faster speed to market, and operational expertise many brands don't have in-house.