RECENT PRESS RELEASES
Alial Fital Golf Apparel Will Donate Portion of Sales to
Folds of Honor Military Scholarship Fund (Memorial Day Weekend)
Seattle, WA, May 22, 2015 - Gibran Hamdan, CEO and designer of the popular golf apparel
line, Alial Fital (AF), has announced that AF will donate 10 percent of all
proceeds from sales over the Memorial Day weekend to the Folds of Honor
Foundation.
“This is Alial Fital’s way of honoring our servicemen and
women,” said Hamdan, whose “stand apart” menswear is manufactured in Los
Angeles, and displayed online or at its showroom in Seattle.
Folds of Honor cites that of the one million-plus veterans
who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly nine out of 10 do not qualify
for federal scholarship assistance. The non-profit provides annual educational
scholarships to the military families of those who have been killed or disabled
while in active duty. These help support private education tuition, tutoring
and educational summer camps for children K-12, as well as higher education
tuition assistance for spouses and children. Since its founding in 2007, the
organization has awarded over 7,500 scholarships, including over 2,000 in 2014
alone.
Folds of Honor hosts an annual invitational golf tournament
at the Patriot Golf Club in Owasso, Oklahoma on Memorial Day. The Patriot was
voted “Best Private New Club” by “Golfweek” in 2011.
Gibran Hamdan entered the design world of golf style in 2010
after an illustrious six-year career as an NFL Quarterback. Alial Fital will be
featured along with other selected labels in the upcoming June Grads/Dads issue
of Greg Monteforte’s “Style Insider” column on the PGA Tour website.
Alial Fital Website: http://www.alialfital.com
Alial Fital Press Kit:
http://alialfitalpresskit.blogspot.com
Facebook: Alial Fital
Twitter: @alialfital
Folds of Honor Website
https://www.foldsofhonor.org/
The Patriot Club
http://thepatriotgolfclub.com/
PGA Tour
http://www.pgatour.com
Greg Monteforte
Twitter: @GolfThreadsBlog
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Golf Threads Interview: Alial Fital’s "Artisanal Fashion Designer"
Gibran Hamdan: "I Want to be True to Myself"
Seattle, WA, April 29, 2015 --(PR.com)-- This week's Golf Threads blog features an in-depth interview by blogger and fan, Greg Monteforte, with designer Gibran Hamdan whose men’s line, Alial Fital (AF), offers a “limited edition” 2015 Masters-Inspired polo collection to honor the PGA Augusta Masters Tournament throughout the month of April.
Monteforte caught the busy Seattle designer in the midst of planning upcoming collections inspired by Wimbledon, the Kentucky Derby and the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay near Tacoma, Wash. Only 100 shirts will be made for each collection.
In 2013, Monteforte named AF Ambassador Bo Van Pelt to his “10 Best Dressed Golfers” list in his “Style Insider” column for PGATour.com—noting the pro golfer “always looks crisp, elegant and stylish in Alial Fital...”
The Golf Threads full pictorial interview can be found on the GT blog at:
Title: Alial Fital & Gibran Hamdan: Standing Apart
Here are some highlights:
GolfThreads (GT): How does an NFL quarterback transition to a fashion designer?
Gibran Hamdan (GH): I am creative and drawn to the artistic side of things. One thing I am most proud of, five years into Alial Fital, most people I meet don’t know that I ever played in the NFL. I’m known for doing something else well that brings me joy.
GT: What benefits will customers see in American made apparel?
GH: It allows me to design in smaller batches. The result is the freedom to produce more unique styles. Customers love that only 100 people in the world will ever own one of our limited edition designs. And I can guarantee that a 12-year old is not sewing them in a sweatshop.
GT: At a time when professionals and amateurs alike are turning to day-glow colors and aggressive patterns in an effort to stand out, you’ve started the Stand Apart Movement. What’s the difference between standing out and standing apart?
GH: Our Stand Apart movement is less about the brand, and more about our fans and customers. It aims to have men confidently and independently decide what they want to wear. If that’s wearing Alial Fital, then great—if not, that’s fine too. It’s not about control, marketing, or the bottom line. I want to be an authentic person who is true to myself. And I want to drive anyone who sees our brand to be authentic to themselves and their own style. It’s about conveying that message.
GT: What’s the profile of an Alial Fital customer?
GH: The desire to search for the Unique identifies our loyal Ambassador.
***
NFL Quarterback-Turned-Designer Gibran Hamdan Honors Augusta National with Masters Inspired Collection by Alial Fital: "It’s About Standing Out"
Seattle, WA, April 12, 2015 --(PR.com)-- “When they go, they’re gone,” said Seattle-based designer, Gibran Hamdan, referring to the limited edition high-styled polo shirts he regularly rolls out under his menswear label, Alial Fital. The former NFL Quarterback usually offers 100 of a newly designed style each week on his website. “Sometimes I might see a particular stripe on a car and it can end up on a shirt the next day,” he said.
This month the eclectic designer, whose Alial Fital tag line is “Stand Apart,” bowed to the requests of loyal customers and in honor of the Augusta National that is currently in full swing, launched a follow-up to his successful 2013 Masters Inspired Collection for April only.
“The 2013 Masters Collection sold out incredibly,” said Hamdan. "Alial Fital was sponsoring golf pro Bo Van Pelt who wore the shirts in the PGA Tour.”
What is the key to designing the 2015 Masters Inspired Collection?
"I had to toe the line between upholding the tradition that is Augusta National yet interject my Alial Fital perspective and uniqueness,” explained Hamdan. “I drew inspiration from styles that ranged from Michael Jordan's game-winning jumper for North Carolina to a James Bond tuxedo. Then blended them into a cohesive unit.”
Alial Fital’s styles may be limited in number, but their scope is wide. Hamdan recently honored his football roots with “The Spirit” polo—inspired by the Tennessee Titans. Last month Alial Fital featured a new style for its “pop art” Avant Garde series. What’s coming up are designs inspired by the Kentucky Derby and Wimbledon—events leading up to the June 15 Chambers Bay U.S. Open (near Tacoma, Wash.).
“Our vertically integrated American Made production allows us to offer limited editions,” said Hamdan. “The customer gets a one-of-a-kind look, and it never lets me get bored or rest on my laurels.”
While the “Alial Fital” name may sound a tad “exotic” to American ears, Hamdan and his clothing line are all American. Born in San Diego, he graduated from Indiana University, and was the first person of Pakistani descent to play in the National Football League. “Alial Fital is actually my parents names spelled backwards,” he explained.
Hamdan decided not to take the usual sportscaster route when he retired from football; and instead sat down at his wife’s sewing machine with his head brimming with ideas—and taught himself to sew. He shrugs off the Fashion Designer job description, preferring “Artisanal Designer.”
Dictionary.com defines artisanal as “Pertaining to or noting a high-quality or distinctive product made in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods.”
“One man bought 75 at one time,” Hamdan said. “These designs are not for everybody. The Stand Apart Movement is not about sticking out, it’s about standing out.”
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