Who
talks hats in the Hip Hop fashion world without
mentioning New Era? The company that took a little
advice from Spike Lee in the early 90s and then turned
the fitted hats game out gave Urb1 magazine a little
bit of their time. Catch a preview of the article that
will be in the 2nd, March issue of Urb1 magazine! Find
what's going on with the 59Fifty@50 collection and New
Era's expansion hat collection.
(
URB1 ) HEY, WHAT'S UP? WHAT'S GOOD MS CRYSTAL HOWARD?
HOW ARE YOU?
( NEW ERA CAP ) I’m good, what’s good with
you Rod?
(
URB1 ) I'M GOOD NO DOUBT... GLAD TO BE HERE DOING THIS
INTERVIEW WITH YOU. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW
EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO GET INTO, AND NO ONE
WILL HAVE THE INFO BUT URB1.COM!
WELL, I ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU DO BUT MOST OTHERS DON'T.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO FOR NEW ERA AND HOW WELL IN
TUNE ARE YOU WITH THE COMPANY HISTORY?
( NEW ERA CAP ) Well, although my title is
Corporate Communications Manager, I don’t think that
really explains much… From the technical side, my
job is to communicate the goings on of New Era to the
outside world, as well as communicate it to those who
work for the company….but what that means is I write
the company’s manage what information people know
about New Era by developing communications strategies,
writing press releases, dealing with the press and
making sure that all things said by the company are
consistent. Some of the other things I do are: handle
product placement with magazines, stylists and
celebrities, develop relationships for the company
with celebs and other companies…. On top of that,
the 59FIFTYat50 Capture the Flag program last year was
a project that I spearheaded for the company – which
meant that I developed the relationships to bring in
the majority of those who designed with us, worked
with the Guest Designers and our in-house designers to
create the caps that went on sale and then did my
regular job to spread the word on them.
There are a couple big things happening at New Era
this year that I am working on spreading the word
on…the first is that New Era has a new Primary Logo:
So when you see this new imaging on the labeling on
your caps, don’t get worried, they aren’t
counterfeits!!! This imaging will be seen on all
marketing materials, on product labeling and visor
stickers and in advertisement…but the FLAG on the
left wear-side of your caps, fitted and otherwise,
will stay the same…
New Era has also rolled out a new tag line and
positioning statement…“New Era Fits” and
“Originators of the True Fitted,” respectfully.
The “New Era Fits” tagline speaks to the
company’s belief that for 85 years, whether wearing
one of its adjustable, knit or fitted styles, its
headwear has fit its consumer’s life through sport
or fashion, licensed or branded styles, whether worn
by a man, woman or child. The “Originators of the
True Fitted” positioning statement speaks to New
Era’s 50 year legacy in making its signature fitted
cap the 59FIFTY; an icon that evolved from a
functional cap worn as a piece of uniform for Major
League Baseball into a fashion standard that sets the
mark by which all others are measured.
And lastly and the piece that is my big project is the
launch EK by New Era a new brand/line of headwear
inspired by New Era’s founder Ehrhardt Koch (pronounced
Airhart Cook) – this line of headwear will focus on
fashion silhouettes, Gatsby’s and the like using
high end fabrics like cashmeres and silks. We will
show it at this February’s Magic and it will hit
retail in August ’05.
Sure – I am well versed in the company’s history!
What do you want to know?
(
URB1 ) INTERESTING ENOUGH, MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A
CLUE WHO FOUNDED THESE MAJOR CLOTHING NAMES THEY ARE
WEARING, SO LETS BREAK THIS MYSTERIOUS QUESTION; WHO
FOUNDED NEW ERA CAP AND HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
( NEW ERA CAP ) As I mentioned above, New Era
was founded by a gentleman named Ehrhardt Koch (pronounced
Airhart Cook) in 1920 in Buffalo, New York. Ehrhardt
was a German immigrant who was brought to the US by
his parents when he was a baby. Ehrhardt began his
career in manufacturing working for a headwear
manufacturer that made fashion caps for men. After
working there and mastering the craft he realized that
he wouldn’t be able to move up I the ranks anymore
and so decided to start his own headwear company. With
a $5,000 loan from his aunt and a promise to her that
her children would never be with out a job, he began
the New Era Cap Company, making Gatsby’s. It
wasn’t until making headwear that coordinated with
men’s tailored suits went out of style in the early
1930s that New Era began making baseball caps, but the
thinking behind it came from believing that seeing how
baseball was the country’s favorite pastime, then
wearing baseball caps would never go out of style. And
here we are 85 years after the company was founded
still making baseball caps and now going back into
making fashion headwear!
(
URB1 ) FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, SINCE THE CREATION OF
NEW ERA AND THE FITTED CAP, SPIKE LEE IS CONSIDERED
THE FATHER OF FITTED CAPS DUE TO HIS WANTING TO HAVE
SOME FITTED NEW YORK HATS IN COLORS NOBODY HAD SEEN
BEFORE. WHAT'S THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS?
( NEW ERA CAP ) There is truth in Spike Lee
being an integral player in what we know the fitted
game to be today, but the history of the New Era’s
59FIFTY fitted cap is a little more involved. As some
might know, last year New Era celebrated the 50th
Anniversary of the 59FIFTY with its 59FIFTYat50
campaign – from which was born our celebrity fitted
cap series Capture the Flag. See New Era began making
its fitted back in 1954. The reasoning behind the
development of the cap was that a lot of baseball club
owners didn’t like their teams’ lack of uniform
look when they took team pictures. So Harold Koch, the
founder’s son (mind you New Era is now run by the
fourth generation Koch and has always been a family
company), developed the high crown fitted baseball cap
we all know and love called the 59FIFTY – this way
baseball players, regardless of the shape and size of
their head would have a nice clean look when
representing their teams… prior players were allowed
to wear any ol’ type of cap baseball cap they wanted,
most were very ill-fitting and slouchy.
So to the Spike story…Spike Lee, as everyone knows
is a HUGE New York sports fan…and we know he loves
his Yankees!!! Back in the mid-90s New Era received a
call from Spike, who was looking to get a Yankees cap
made in red instead of the traditional Yankee blue.
New Era had never thought of doing such a thing, but
this was Spike Lee so why not. After receiving
permission from MLB and the Yankees, New Era proceeded
to make Spike his red Yankee, in addition to making it
in other colors as well…and its history from there.
In fact the impact that Spike had on New Era is the
reason he was the first celebrity to design a Capture
the Flag 59FIFTY with us last year – the navy blue
cashmere fitted Yankee with 26 embroidered baseballs
representing the 26 World Series championships won by
the team. Spike Lee is an important part of New
Era’s history.
(
URB1 ) SPIKE LEE IS GREAT! I GUESS HE MADE THE WORLD
WAKE UP WHEN HE PUT HIS EXCLUSIVE FITTED ON... BUT
ANYHOW, HOW DID THINGS CHANGE AFTER SPIKE'S CREATING
THE NON-AUTHENTIC COLORED FITTED? DID EVERYTHING BLAST
OFF RIGHT AT THE JUMP?
( NEW ERA CAP ) Nothing takes off that quickly,
but with time and testing and getting all the
permissions New Era started a trend that continues to
this day, not only in caps for baseball teams, but for
basketball, football and just about any other sport
you can come up with! Everyone wants to rock a fitted
and even better if it’s a New Era 59FIFTY fitted! As
our new sub-tag says, we are the Originators of the
True Fitted! And not only is New Era the originator,
but it continues to set trends in the market!
(
URB1 ) WELL, LETS MOVE AWAY FROM THIS, A LOT DON'T
UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS LIMITED EDITION 59FIFTY@50
COLLECTION THAT'S BEEN RELEASING HATS ALL YEAR IS
ABOUT. WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THIS LINE OF HATS COME
FROM?
( NEW ERA CAP ) Well the concept isn’t
necessarily a new one – think sneakers…think
Nike… But for New Era it is about innovation and the
high level of custom ability that New Era has and can
do in such a limited number of pieces, only 288 caps
made per guest designer. The bigger picture of the
project was a celebration of the 59FIFTYs 50th
anniversary and New Era’s position in this game –
on top! But all in all it is about our relationship
with our markets, how we can collaborate with folks
from all walks of life, those representing the
different types of people who wear our caps, from
baseball to football to basketball fans – or to
hip-hop enthusiasts to those who are on the cutting
edge of action sports, skateboarding and snowboarding
– New Era makes headwear that transcends generations
and cultures!
(
URB1 ) OF ALL THE 59FIFTY@50 CAPS DESIGNED THUS FAR...
WHICH WERE THE TOP THREE SELLERS?
( NEW ERA CAP ) Spike’s cap, Fabolous’ cap
and Roger Clemens’ cap!
(
URB1 ) A LOT OF PEOPLE NOTICED THAT FABOLOUS'
59FIFTY@50, PINSTRIPE YANKEES FITTED CAME OUT A 2ND
TIME. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN AND IS IT LIABLE TO HAPPEN
AGAIN WITH OTHER HATS? IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET ANY
THESE HATS ONLINE ONCE THEY SELL OUT FROM YOUR SITE?
( NEW ERA CAP ) I am assuming you are talking
about the white version of the cap – we call it a
“Take Down Version” – we did the same thing with
Spike’s cap – did a white version. This came out
of the 59FIFTYat50 campaign…in the campaign we
partnered with HATWORLD/Lids to in special cases do a
less expensive version of the cap and for each cap
sold an additional dollar would be contributed to the
guest designer’s charity – in the case of
Spike’s cap we ended up contributing $40,000 to
Morehouse College’s Sports Journalism program.
Once they sell out, the caps are gone….except with
the possibility of the “Take Down Versions” –
once we go through the program with Lids, the style is
opened up to other retailers…so you may still find
white versions of Fab’s cap out there with Blue
pinstripes.
(
URB1 ) SKIPPING INTO A QUESTION THAT JUST POPPED IN MY
HEAD.... OF ALL THE CELEBRITIES YOU WORKED WITH ON
THESE CUSTOM HAT PROJECTS, WHO HAD THE BIGGEST FITTED
COLLECTION YOU THINK? WHO HAD THE MOST LIMITED EDITION
FITTED COLLECTION? I'VE HEARD RUMORS THAT IT'S FAB BUT
LETS END THE RIDDLES ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
( NEW ERA CAP ) Its hard to say, because I
haven’t seen their collections myself. Although Fab
was modest when talking about his collection with me,
I hear that he has a pretty extensive collection of
New Era 59FIFTYs…but I wonder if Fat Joe isn’t
right there with him…cause I know for a fact that
Joe is out there always buying stores out of their
inventory. Who knows, maybe we need to go out and
audit them to see who in fact is the King of Fitteds!!!
The funny thing is even if these two are neck and neck
– I know for a fact that there are other folks out
there, who didn’t make cap with us on this level,
who probably have bigger collections than either of
them. I will name two…my man Rick Betemit at
Atlantic Records is one of the biggest fitted fiends I
have ever met, and his collection is probably more
than 400 strong!!! And then comedian Alex Thomas is
killing cats with his collection, so much so that he
had custom shelving made for his closets at home just
to keep his New Era fitteds!!! That is dedication!
(
URB1 ) TO
BE CONTINUED IN URB1 MAGAZINE'S MARCH ISSUE. SUBSCRIBE
BY APRIL 1ST AND GET THIS ISSUE WITHOUT BACKORDERING!
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW!
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