New Era Cap, the official cap of the Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA, and the WNBA, tapped Dao-Yi Chow as creative director and vice president, overseeing the design of the brand’s first namesake apparel line—Brand New Era, as well as merchandising and marketing.
With an expansive portfolio of global licenses, the addition of apparel and accessories lines, and a 1,000-plus worldwide retail store network, the brand intends to be a market leader rooted in sports and an influencer of street and lifestyle culture worldwide.
Chow co-founded the streetwear label Public School, which he launched in 2008 with Maxwell Osborne. Previously, he was the creative director and head of marketing at Sean John, the label by Sean Combs, and later the co-creative director of Donna Karan’s DKNY line and the global creative director of Sergio Tacchini. More recently, he oversaw Brady Brand, the brand started by retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
“Chow will oversee the creation and development of the brand’s first namesake apparel line called Brand New Era,” reported New Era. Chow’s mission will be to “serve as a catalyst for the legacy brand’s next chapter into apparel, headwear and accessories through a culture-led lens.”
“Dao-Yi’s unparalleled creativity and passion for sportswear make him the perfect fit to lead our brand to the next level of product evolution. With his vision and leadership, we are ensuring our commitment to remain squarely at the intersection of sport, fashion and culture, while staying true to our rich heritage,” said Jim Grundtisch, president of New Era.
Besides design, Chow will also be in charge of marketing and merchandising “with a view to introducing the Brand New Era collections on the global market.“ The company provided no further details on what apparel products Chow will introduce at the end of the year. The company currently manufactures tees, shorts, sweatshirts, and leggings.
“New Era is a cultural icon and categorically the holy grail of headwear. We have an unbelievable archive of innovation and products that has yet to be fully explored. To sit at the helm in a new direction for the brand that will complement its 100-year history in caps, is an exciting task,“ said Chow, adding that New Era “was also the foundation of the headwear partnership for Public School at the time we launched our ‘We Need Leaders’ campaign.”
Images courtesy New Era
