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Buffalo native fashion designer Billie Essco has entered into a collaboration with global hatmaker New Era Cap Co. Under this partnership, Essco’s brand will be showcased, and he plans to leverage this opportunity to not only expand his own platform but also bring attention to the local community. Essco, who is also a rapper and creative director, describes his aspirations as “locally global.” While he aims to become an influencer in the fashion industry, he is determined to represent the community where he grew up. Essco’s designs have even been featured during Paris Fashion Week, further establishing his global presence. The collaboration with New Era allows a local-based company to join forces with a globally recognized one, bringing the best of both worlds. New Era has launched a line of trendy fashion hats and garments as part of the collaboration, which was showcased at a launch party in Buffalo. The collection offers various hat styles, including snapbacks, fitted caps, beanies, and even introduces a “trucker hat” to New Era’s range. Essco takes pride in having brought stylish hoodies to the hat manufacturer, further solidifying his influence within the community. He is renowned as a pioneer of the local #buffalokids scene and has opened a Buffalo Kids store in the Walden Galleria. As Uptown Chase in the world of hip-hop, Essco has already released several albums and performed at concerts and festivals in Buffalo and various other cities across the country. With this collaboration, Essco plans to continue to speak to the community, emphasizing innovation, creation, and connecting culture and communities. The collaboration with New Era serves to amplify the mission that Cafe+Czen, Essco’s fashion, art, and cuisine brand, was already on. Through strategic efforts, Essco aims to bring more attention to his designs and products and expand Cafe beyond its normal base. The collaboration process with New Era began in the fall, and after going through design iterations and marketing campaigns, the recently launched product line caters to a wide range of consumers. This collaboration comes at a perfect time for Essco, as he had been actively searching for ways to gain more visibility for his brand. Moreover, he hopes to use this collaboration to magnify the mission of expanding Cafe and further connect with the local and global community.
