New Era

Founded in 1920 in Buffalo, NY, by German-born milliner Ehrhardt Koch, New Era has evolved from a family business to the world's leading headwear label with over 500 licenses. Today, the brand shapes professional sports, hip-hop aesthetics, and high-fashion collaborations alike—and despite globalization, remains in the hands of the Koch family.

• In 1920, Koch started with only 14 employees and produced 60,000 “Gatsby” caps in the first year.
• In 1934, New Era secured its first MLB contract, supplying the Cleveland Indians with custom team caps.
• In 1954, Harold Koch modernized the professional cap and named it 59FIFTY – the prototype of all later fitted caps.

• Since 1993, New Era has held the exclusive on-field license for all MLB teams – a milestone that made the company synonymous with baseball headwear.
• In 2012, the NFL's official sideline caps followed, making New Era a football on-field supplier for the first time.
• In 2016, the NBA named New Era the worldwide authentic headwear partner for the NBA, WNBA and G-League.

With the entry into other sports, e-sports and international football clubs (including Manchester United), the former sporting goods company transformed into a fully-fledged lifestyle label with stores in over 80 countries

Director Spike Lee ordered a custom red Yankees 59FIFTY in 1996 and catapulted the cap from the stadium onto the fashion radar of the hip-hop community.

Since then, the 59FIFTY has become firmly anchored in music culture, the skate scene, and TikTok trends; influencers and collectors celebrate limited-edition "Pink Bottoms" or "Hat Club" drops as status symbols.

• 59FIFTY: High-crown fitted with a flat visor; first launched in 1954 and still the flagship of the brand today.
• 9FORTY / 9FIFTY / 9TWENTY: Adjustable versions with a curved visor or snapback closure for casual wearers.
• Continuous material updates – e.g., moisture-regulating performance wool and REPREVE® recycled fibers.

In addition to MLB, NFL and NBA, New Era works with international leagues such as the Australian Big Bash League in cricket and global soccer clubs.

• Supreme has released dozens of box logo fitteds since 1996, selling out season after season.
• Fear of God Essentials reinterprets classic MLB logos as monochrome luxury fitteds.
• Yohji Yamamoto (Y's) has been presenting experimental long-brim caps and pom-pom knits since AW24/25.

In 2024, Travis Scott paid homage to his hometown team, the Houston Astros, with his own 59FIFTY collection, which sold out within minutes.

New Era publishes detailed supply chain reports, audits its manufacturing facilities, and uses recycled yarns like REPREVE® to make its environmental footprint and human rights transparent. The company headquarters, which it moved into in 2020—a converted 17,000 square meter Federal Reserve Bank building—architecturally reflects this commitment to modernization. In 2024, the family-owned company also announced the acquisition of the heritage label '47 Brand to further expand its market leadership.

For over a century, New Era has combined craftsmanship, athletic authenticity, and cultural relevance. With exclusive licenses for MLB, NFL, and NBA, collaborative projects from Supreme to Fear of God, and clear sustainability goals, the brand remains a trendsetter – from the first 59FIFTY to modern REPREVE® caps. Anyone looking for true headwear icons can't go past New Era – and at Coziness, you'll find the entire spectrum, from classics to limited-edition drops.