The Visionary Returns: Johan Lindeberg on Revolutionising Golf Fashion—Again

Words: Scarlett Thomas
Fashion Editor, Women's Golf Magazine

When Johan Lindeberg stepped onto the fashion scene in the 1990s, he didn’t follow trends—he started them. First, with Diesel’s provocative Successful Living campaign and later with J.Lindeberg, where he transformed the way the world viewed golf apparel forever. Now, decades later, the creative visionary is embarking on perhaps his most personal—and inspired—chapter yet. Introducing JAY3LLE Riyadh: a revolutionary new brand founded with his daughter, Blue, fusing golf, fashion, art and culture in a way that feels fiercely modern and deeply connected to a new generation.

Johan’s career has been defined by moments of bold intuition. His first major move came when he discovered Diesel in a Copenhagen shop window in 1990. At the time, Diesel was virtually unknown outside Italy. “When I saw the shop window, I just fell in love. I went down to Diesel, knocked on the door and convinced them to give me a job.” Lindeberg, recognizing its potential, negotiated to become the brand's first and only sole distributor for Sweden. He didn't just sell jeans—he reimagined a lifestyle, launching Diesel’s now-iconic Successful Living campaign in Stockholm, and later New York. “I saw something different in Diesel—a voice, a lifestyle. It wasn't about the product; it was about a new way of living,” he recalls. His fearless creativity turned Diesel into an international movement, aligning perfectly with the era's cultural shift towards irony, rebellion and Generation X energy.

J.Lindeberg didn’t just make stylish golf clothes; we changed the golf uniform forever.

After conquering denim, Johan set his sights on a new frontier: golf. At the time, the sport’s wardrobe was dominated by tradition—boxy fits, muted tones and little innovation. “No one had merged fashion with golf,” he says. “It was all Madison Avenue and New England prep. I wanted to inject energy, style and athleticism.”

He founded J.Lindeberg in Stockholm, drawing inspiration not from market research but from personal passion. At a time when khakis and cotton polos reigned, an avid golfer himself, Johan’s vision brought in tailored silhouettes, technical innovation, combined with high-fashion street style. “I wanted to challenge Ralph Lauren the way I challenged Levi’s with Diesel,” he says. “And I did. Everyone in golf now wears some version of what we created back then.” Players like Jesper Parnevik, who famously won the 2000 Byron Nelson Championship clad in J.Lindeberg’s bold colors, helped cement the brand’s revolutionary status. "People don’t realize today—J.Lindeberg didn’t just make stylish golf clothes; we changed the golf uniform forever," Johan says.

But success came at a cost. Creative differences with investors and internal struggles over the brand’s direction, particularly Johan’s insistence on promoting a strong women's collection, eventually led him to walk away from the company he built. "I left that boardroom with nothing," he reflects. "But I stood up for what I believed in."

JAY3LLE Riyadh: A New Generation

Now, Johan is returning to his roots—not by recreating the past, but by forging an entirely new path. JAY3LLE Riyadh is born from both legacy and innovation, crafted alongside his daughter Blue, who represents the very future he hopes to inspire.

"Blue is my best friend," Johan says, with obvious affection. "She’s 24, living in downtown New York, surrounded by the next generation of creatives. She sees the world differently—and that’s the point."

The brand’s home in Saudi Arabia is no accident. Johan speaks with deep admiration for the culture, its rising global influence, and the “creative guts” he sees emerging there. JAY3LLE stands on authenticity—not trend-chasing. “I want to build something Saudi can be proud of,” he says.

Partnering with dynamic figures like Princess Nora, who serves as CEO, Johan envisions JAY3LLE Riyadh not just as a fashion label, but as a platform for empowerment—particularly for women. "In everything I’ve done, women have been central," he insists. "This time, I want to create a true community where women lead the way." Image: Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud Named CEO of Jay3lle

One of the brand’s most significant shifts is its approach to design and production. Instead of seasonal collections, JAY3LLE Riyadh will focus on individually released iconic pieces, designed to transcend trends and resist the waste of traditional fashion cycles. "I’m tired of filler products," Johan says. 

"The goal is to create timeless icons—pieces you don’t just wear for a season, but for life." At its core, the brand is about defying convention—blurring the lines between fashion and sport, tradition and innovation, all through an unapologetically modern lens. "It’s about elegance, about movement," he says.

A lot of the new golf brands are dude brands," he says candidly. "Supreme-inspired street energy, but no real fashion construction knowledge. At JAY3LLE, we’re coming at it as real fashion designers who love golf, not the other way around."

"It’s about starting with women first." Golf remains at the heart of the project, but JAY3LLE Riyadh’s vision extends beyond the fairways, as Johan hints at future expansions into other sports. "We are building a world, not just a brand." As the industry buzzes about the "new wave" of golf fashion brands, Johan offers a crucial distinction.

"A lot of the new golf brands are dude brands," he says candidly. "Supreme-inspired street energy, but no real fashion construction knowledge. At JAY3LLE, we’re coming at it as real fashion designers who love golf, not the other way around." With a strong emphasis on individuality, culture and authentic craftsmanship, JAY3LLE Riyadh is poised to connect with a generation eager for change. It’s a full-circle moment: the visionary who once shook up denim and golf is ready to do it all again—but this time, with his daughter by his side.

And as for what keeps him going after decades of creative risk-taking? Johan smiles, almost conspiratorially. "I just close my eyes, and I see things other people don’t," he says. "That’s how it’s always been." As the landscape of golf evolves, where Johan Lindeberg goes next, the industry—and the culture—will follow.