Its been nearly a century since Ehrhardt Koch borrowed $5,000 from his aunt to start his own cap company, E. Koch Cap Co. (which would eventually become New Era Cap Company two years later) and produced 5,000 dozen caps.
That small shop became known for men’s casual and uniform caps, including what is known today as “newspaper” or “flapper” caps. They eventually forayed into creating professional baseball caps, catering to pro teams such as Pittsburgh Pirates, the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers, among others.
Its been 95 years since that small shop in Buffalo, New York spawned a multi-national business, and today, the long wait is finally over, as Filipino Cap aficionados no longer have to go abroad, or buy through overpriced online stores to get their hands on the latest designs of the iconic headwear.
New Era Cap, the world’s most renowned headwear brand and official provider of on-field caps to Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL), New Era, opened its very first store in the Philippines on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at the upper ground floor of SM Megamall building B.
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The flagship store carries over 500 cap styles inspired by different sports leagues and iconic characters, including the much celebrated 59FIFTY fitted cap which has been considered as the premium cap of choice.
“Bringing the New Era store to the Philippines has been a much-anticipated event. There are a lot of cap enthusiasts and New Era cap fans in Manila alone. Bringing the brand here and giving it its own store is sure to amplify the resurging interest in caps and headwear in general. We are ready to fuel a cap revolution,” said Melvin Lloyd Lim, Authentic Caps Retail Inc. Chairman & CEO.
The first New Era store in the Philippines brings the best interior designs from the flagship stores around the globe. Another highlight of the store is a cap blocking machine which helps shape recently-bought caps and freshen up worn ones. Aside from the caps, New Era also carries apparel, bags, cap care products and other cap accessories.
When it comes to designs, New Era has access to a comprehensive archive of designs, with licenses that are among the most extensive in the headwear industry. New Era works with Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, Looney Tunes, DC Comics, Peanuts, Wu Tang Clan, Flintstones, and Muhammad Ali, while its sports licenses include Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL).
“The brand’s heritage is so rich that it is known in many parts of the world. We are bringing Filipinos closer to this heritage while providing options for high quality headwear,” Jonathan Lau, Authentic Caps President & COO, said.
“New Era is an American lifestyle brand rooted in sports that translates very well with the Philippines market. We are delighted to work with an experienced partner like Authentic Caps to assist in growing the brand and delivering New Era products to the Philippine consumer,” said Daniel Broderick, New Era Cap Managing Director for Asia-Pacific.
To celebrate the grand opening of the store were performances by The Crew Dance and Red Bull BC One Philippines Cypher winner B-Boy Haslah. VIP guests such as Mikey Bustos, RA Rivera, Quark Henares, Jinri Park, Erika Padilla, Kean Cipriano, Raimund Marasigan, Luke Landrigan, and many others joined the late afternoon party before eagerly filling their shopping bags with their favorite designs.
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At the launch, guests can enjoy cocktails and food, with beats provided by an in-house DJ, in the bold and clean cut store that boasts of a definite industrial feel. The interior design utilizes cement, wood and metal as strong design elements that provide the perfect backdrop for the caps’ various designs and colors.
But before you head over to Megamall to check the newly opened store check out this mini guide below to know the difference between a 59Fifty and a 39Thirty, or a 9Twenty and a 9Forty as well as a measurement guide to get the best fitting cap for you!
