AHEAD, New Bedford, Mass., released its spring 2020 lineup, introducing five new techniques. According to Chuck Lord, AHEAD’s chief creative officer, three of the five new ornamentation techniques, each distinctly different, are designed specifically for cotton headwear.
“When it comes to cotton headwear, customers tend to be more set in their ways,” Lord said. “Many golfers, for example, like their cotton headwear solid colored. This is where the Chatham, Cambridge and Greenwich techniques come into play—they give cotton something to boast about.”
The new ornamentation techniques for Spring 2020 include:
- The Cambridge: This small, preppy patch look is a traditional, yet sporty way to wear a club logo, whether on the golf course or tennis court or even in everyday settings. This technique, produced on special machines in the company’s Massachusetts headquarters, stands out with a white border that surrounds every logo.
- The Greenwich: A colorful evolution to AHEAD’s popular Rust (short for Rustler) “cattle brand” faux suede brown patches. Unlike the Rust’s one-color, dark brown graphics, The Greenwich technique’s bone-colored faux suede layer uses a full-color printed logo, and is layered on a second, colorful piece of faux suede as an accent. The Greenwich is best suited for lightweight cotton headwear.
- The Chatham: Bringing the look of needlepoint to headwear decoration, The Chatham offers a simple, uncomplicated look best suited for soft crown cotton headwear. True needlepoint is done using a single strand of embroidery floss that is pushed through the fabric, pulled through and then returned through the fabric once again. “We have combined the look of needlepoint with the automation of our embroidery machines to capture this hot look, all the while at an affordable price,” Lord said.
Rounding out the new ornamentation techniques are The Venice and The Hyannis. The Venice, with a surf-meets-sand look, features a trendy, raised bordered patch. With its understated graphics, The Hyannis emphasizes the simple and conservative embroidered namedrop.
For more information on AHEAD, visit www.aheadweb.com.
