This month, the brands to discover are Studio Halftime and Cognomen The first from New York, the second from Japan
We usually present our classic monthly column featuring five brands to know, united by the intersection of football (or sports) and fashion. This column not only informs but also illustrates how the market is evolving and how this industry is responding to what is no longer a trend, nor a novelty: the fusion of sports aesthetics and fashion. Looking back at previous editions of the column, we can see how far the dialogue in clothing at this intersection has come. Many brands are able to appropriate an existing aesthetic from football or other sports and adapt it to their own vision: simply put, taking a club’s stripes or sponsor and creating a kind of bootleg. Far fewer brands, however, manage to refine the inspiration, truly working on the creative process.
This is probably because, if we take a sport like football, the most immediate approach for a brand is to build on an already highly recognizable visual identity: a template shared by multiple teams, or simple color blocking associated with a club. It is much more complex, however, to start from a hidden or secondary detail to create garments or tell stories. And it is precisely in this endeavor that the two brands we want to talk about today have excelled: Studio Halftime and Cognomen, which is why, for once, we are reducing our selection from five to two brands.
Studio Halftime
Studio Halftime is a project by the creative Lev Rosenbush, who, even before creating clothing, specialized in designing football-inspired accessories. This is because Lev Rosenbush began his creative journey producing ceramic works, such as pieces from the Blackware collection, which take inspiration from so-called cones: objects widely used by coaches during training sessions to allow players to practice slaloms and dribbling. These are objects that reference football without explicitly stating it: a subtle union that, to those unfamiliar with these items, does not immediately suggest a football inspiration, yet rewards those who recognize the reference.
Cognomen
Cognomen, on the other hand, is a Japanese brand - Made in Japan, of course - which Studio Halftime partnered with for the production of garments (a pair of pants and a jacket, making up a complete set) accompanying the Blackware collection. The names of the two pieces? Very simple: GK Pants and GK Jacket, because both feature padding in the knees and elbows, just like an old goalkeeper kit, which disappeared entirely in the early 2000s. The reason was the spread of lighter, more aerodynamic materials and garments for goalkeepers, alongside the increasing softness of pitches; but most importantly, it reflected a change in the technique of the role itself, already underway in the late 1990s, with the adoption of the diving save landing on the side and shoulder.
In short, Studio Halftime shows that you don’t always need to rely on colors, crests, or patterns for inspiration: there are many details to draw from to unleash creativity, which in this case also becomes a functional addition capable of increasing the garment’s durability.