Seated in the ornate lobby of a Palm Beach resort, Aleksandra Efimova smiled with confidence when discussing her new women’s golf fashion brand, Golfabella.
“The sky is the limit, my vision was to build an iconic brand that elevates ladies’ golf fashion’’ Aleksandra said.
Spend even a few minutes with her, and you’ll understand why failure is not an option for the Russian-born (St. Petersburg), Harvard Business School educated, former dancer turned successful business woman.
Fashion and dance, plus the drive to succeed have been in Aleksandra’s blood since the day she was born. She merged the two passions for the first time in her dormitory room at Michigan in 1998 (her junior year) by founding dancewear company RP Collection.
Over the last 25 years, Aleksandra grew her business from the dancewear company RP Collection, to Auxo Brands, a multi-million dollar corporation that retains multiple brands, including FLX Stretch Training fitness company, the 5.6.7.EIGHT Podcast, which she hosts, and most recently adding Golfabella to the portfolio. “Auxo,’’ meaning “Goddess of Growth,” is a fitting moniker for Aleksandra’s drive to succeed and her mainly female team.
This past March, Aleksandra launched her first collection of women’s luxury golf apparel, Golfabella. The collection features Italian fabrics and focuses on style and performance – similar qualities that go into the making of RP Collection’s dance apparel. Golfabella, which currently consists of nine dresses in sizes XS to XXL, has made early inroads at private country clubs in Florida, North Carolina, Michigan and Illinois.
“One of the things we spent a lot of time on was studying the needs of a typical female golfer. I asked a lot of questions before designing the collection about what women were looking for, what length of skirt they like, etc. There are a lot of similarities between dance fashion and golf fashion. For both sports, you have to look good and feel good in the garment, and the fabrics have to move with the woman’s body. Our Golfabella fabrics are all made in Italy, so they really are the highest quality and complement the body.”
“Women are very passionate about their golf apparel. In doing my research, I would ask for 15 minutes of their time, and often they would talk to me for more than an hour. I learned that many golfers have an emotional attachment to how they look on the golf course and club. I also realized that there is a void in the market. I had so many comments and requests for specific fits, fabrics, colors and lengths. These conversations gave me the confidence that if we could incorporate everything the female golfers are looking for in a garment, we could build a nice brand.”
Golfabella’s next collection will debut in 2024 with separates as well as its signature dresses. The entire collection was inspired by Aleksandra’s love of golf and the many iconic courses around the world.
“I remember when my passion for golf really flourished because I was in Palm Beach for a couple of months to escape the cold in Chicago. As it was during the pandemic, there were not a lot of gyms open, and I was kind of bored with cycling so often. A friend of mine had gifted me a set of golf clubs (TaylorMade) and 10 private lessons.’’
Aleksandra headed to John Prince Park in Lake Worth, FL. for lessons with LPGA Master Professional Nancy Stuart. Those first 10 lessons begat 20 more lessons, and it took Aleksandra every ounce of discipline she had to stick with it.
“I’m a former dancer, a Pilates instructor, hiker, and cyclist. Despite my athletic ability, golf was challenging for me. I was ready to quit many times. But, I knew that every Tuesday at 3:30pm, Nancy would be waiting for me on the course. So, I was able to stick it out and refine my skills. Now, golf and golf fashion are two of my biggest passions in life.’’