Fashion has taken over our imagination. The humble cloth, whose primary role was to cover humankind’s vulnerabilities, has branched out into a new purpose, that of defining a generation’s identity. People connect with clothes as the wiser among us connect with the spirit. The fit of a jacket, the fall of a dress, have come to define how individuals see themselves and those around them. Meeting them at this junction of high expectations is clothing store Zamage whose fortunes have changes since signing a contract with New Era Cap Company.
Zamage was a humble retail store in 2004. Its 500 sq.ft. area was used by its founder Zachary Sheaffer to sell t-shirts, cell phone accessories, and more. For decades, Zamage has managed to walk parallelly with change. Their ability to stay flexible and always on top of trends has helped them stay on the top of their customer’s minds who “shop with us because they trust our knowledge to give them what the oncoming seasons will come to define as trends,” says Zachary. While their presence hasn’t gone unnoticed, the New Era Cap agreement has helped them up their game by a great notch.
New Era Cap, a 100-year old headwear company, has its roots in New York, a city that has helped the brand thrive through the years. Their vintage is a clear sign of their success and their desire to reach out to Zamage, which indicates their willingness to cater to changes that have become all so frequent among people. For Zachary, this association is one of great privilege, and he hopes, “to make the most of it. My team and I hope to learn from the greats who survived without any of the help available to us Millenials now. These are the people who defined success. We are excited to see what new things will be born out of this collaboration.” Indeed, it’ll be exciting to see how it pans out and affects the market.
Interestingly, joining the big guns was never a priority for Zamage, at least not in the beginning. The sweet years of struggle that required Zachary to shuttle between Philadelphia and Lancaster once a week went on for more than four years. During this period, Zamage thrived on Zachary’s resilience and perseverance. He recalls, “We started small. I had no illusions about that. In fact, being small pushed me to work harder, longer, and with more faith than others. I had put all my cards on the table. I knew there were bigger players out there who could crush us if we didn’t hold our own, that there were challenges we wouldn’t know we weren’t equipped to deal with until they were staring us down. As we maneuvered our way and found our feet, here’s what I realized – the market is big enough for everyone, and as long as you stick to your values and don’t shy away from making tough decisions or facing tough situations, you will persevere. Perhaps, that’s what New Era was able to see in us.”
Spilling beans on the contract, Zachary says, “It was time for things to change. We were ready. We’d been wanting to cash in on our experience and expertise by going big, and along comes the contract and now not only have we moved to a bigger location, but we are also privileged to sell New Era’s MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL hats, products that have added major size to our customer base.”
While their customer base has grown in size, Zachary’s decision to sign the contract with the big player wasn’t only to take Zamage to more people. It also had to do with joining forces with a name whose echo has been heard loud and clear for a long time. He says, “When we heard that such a possibility is in the works, we were thrilled. It’s a brand we had looked up to for many years. Some of our favorite NBA and NFL players sport their wear. It was a privilege to be able to join forces with the masters of design and marketing. As a team, we knew that the opportunity was something we dare not miss. And the fact they chose us boosted our confidence no small deal either.”
When two forces that have been through incredible ups and downs and have been strengthened on the anvil of life come together, it’s good news for all. Although other experiences pale in comparison to success, the one that equals it is the journey one took to get there. As Zamage and New Era form an alliance, the market stands to gain by expecting products that are the result of creativity and honest hard work. With the world increasingly becoming more accommodating for partnerships that redefine success, here’s wishing Zamage and New Era a long and beneficial union.