Our Founder and Designer: Melanie Friedman

Melanie Friedman is a globally trained fashion designer and entrepreneur with a career spanning New York, London, Paris, and Amsterdam. She began her studies at Parsons School of Design, where she earned a spot on the Dean’s List while interning with top New York designers, including Thakoon and Derek Lam. She later made history as the first-ever transfer student at Central Saint Martins, one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, graduating with 2nd Level Honours. Her talent was recognized early when she won the Louis Vuitton Project at CSM, an honor graded by Louis Vuitton’s handbag design team, earning her an exclusive mentorship with the luxury fashion house.

Melanie’s career is a testament to her ability to merge couture craftsmanship with commercial success. She has worked with some of the industry’s most renowned fashion houses, including Viktor & Rolf, Thakoon, and Derek Lam, while also catching the attention of Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.

During her time at Viktor & Rolf, Melanie’s couture vest was selected as the closing look of their Paris Couture Fall/Winter ‘19 Show, one of the highest honors in fashion. Her designs have since been worn by Bella Hadid, Helen Mirren, and other global icons, further cementing her reputation as a designer with both creative vision and technical mastery. At Thakoon, her original prints became a defining feature of the Spring/Summer ‘16 collection, and one of her designs was chosen for the Fashion Week invitation, seen by Anna Wintour and fashion’s elite.

Her own bespoke tie-dye line, Ruzja, was carried in four boutiques across California, generating demand from Neiman Marcus. With over a decade of experience honing her craft, Melanie has built a career rooted in innovation, craftsmanship, and global perspective.

With golf always being a part of her life, she saw firsthand the lack of stylish, performance-driven women’s apparel. With her background in couture, luxury fashion, and textile innovation, creating Crossover Golf was a natural evolution. The brand fuses elevated fashion with high-performance materials, offering sophisticated yet functional golf apparel that moves seamlessly from the course to everyday life. Designed for modern women who demand style without compromising on sport, Crossover Golf is Melanie’s way of revolutionizing an industry that was long overdue for change.

At Crossover, that fashion-house perspective is applied to the practical details of golfwear: precise cut, considered materials, and pieces designed for life beyond the course. Independent editorial coverage includes Golf Digest's New Classic Polo selection and its 2026 feature on the Condor Cropped Windbreaker. PGA.com also documented Crossover's participation in the 2025 PGA fashion show.