White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA released the third of its five 2015 #Heineken100 product collaborations. The custom jersey knit and lambskin strap-back cap was designed by Chicago’s RSVP Gallery Operator and Buyer Isimeme "Easy" Otabor. The cap features a chrome buckle and #Heineken100 branding on its interior and was unveiled at a launch event at RSVP Gallery, the company says.
In its sixth year, the #Heineken100 program celebrates the brand's consumers with custom, collaborative products, produced through partnerships with legendary men's fashion outposts in five U.S. cities. These include KITH in New York City, Union in Los Angeles, RSVP Gallery in Chicago, Alchemist in Miami and Concepts in Boston. Each partner has created a custom product to be will be unveiled at a VIP launch event and seeded to 100 national influencers, the company says.
"We were excited to be chosen as a #Heineken100 collaborator,” Easy said in a statement. “The program's jersey knit theme inspired us to create a classic Chicago-style cap – an icon that, much like Heineken, will never go out of fashion.”.
For the first time, the program expanded to include a #Heineken100 City Guide, along with local activations in each of the five markets, for consumers ages 21 and older. Created by the #Heineken100 retailers and HighSnobiety, the #Heineken100 City Guide highlights the favorite locales of its culturally connected partners, the company says.
"Heineken's goal for this year's program is to continue connecting with influencers around the world, in the cities they call home," said Ralph Rijks, senior vice president at Heineken USA, in a statement. "We partnered with RSVP Gallery because they are truly at the forefront of Chicago's art and fashion spheres."
The first 2015 product, a custom basics set designed by KITH’s founder Ronnie Fieg, dropped in August, followed by the September debut of Union Los Angeles founder Chris Gibbs' limited-edition sports coat. The next product collaboration is set to launch in November with an event at Alchemist in Miami. Boston's Concepts will round out this year's collection with the launch of its collaborative product in December.