Rich Cofinco has returned to lifestyle footwear brand Creative Recreation, a division of Rocky Brands, Inc. as the brand’s creative director. Cofinco, who departed in 2012, was Creative Recreation’s co-founder and original designer.
“Rich was a driving force in Creative Recreation’s rise in the fashion and lifestyle footwear market,” said Robert Brack, Creative Recreation President. “He has a longstanding reputation as an innovative artist and his unabashed craftsmanship will be invaluable as we revitalize our collections.”
Over the past year, Creative Recreation conducted consumer and retail research to determine the perception of the brand with consumers. A significant finding was that the brand needed to evolve and leverage its position as a cutting-edge creative innovator within the footwear industry.
“Rich was instrumental in our Company’s rise as a lifestyle brand and, with his return, customers and retailers can expect a design-style evolution within Creative Recreation,” added Brack.
A pioneer of the lifestyle genre, Cofinco was a street artist who began his design career working for Vans before founding Creative Recreation in 2002. Recognizing a void in the footwear market, he started Creative Recreation with the idea of crafting a cross between a sneaker and dress shoe. After 10 years as its lead designer, Cofinco left the Company in 2012 to refocus on his passion of street art. During his hiatus, he launched Visual Richuals, a design agency, and a new line of sneakers, Asif.
“For Spring 2016, expect the unexpected,” said Cofinco. “Im glad to be back where it all began and look forward to being a part of the evolution of the brand’s original vision: to create imaginative footwear that stimulates play.”
