In 1996, a simple phone call changed cap culture forever. Spike Lee dialed New Era CEO Chris Koch‘s number and told him he wanted a red Yankees cap. Koch decided to let him have his way. Spike needed the red hat to match a red jacket that he was getting a lot of wear out of at the time – and the rest, they say, is history. Spike wore the cap to the ’96 World Series, which spiked demand for the scarlet red dome piece. The ramifications of this aren’t lost on us, or any cap connoisseur out there. Basically, until that point, cap manufacturers only made caps in team colors. New Era‘s innovation opened the flood gates to infinite cap color combos, and they’ve been leading the market ever since.
In homage to the original Spike Lee joint, the legendary filmmaker and headwear manufacturer have gotten back together to re-release the red Yankees cap, alongside three other color/fabric variations. Released under New Era‘s Heritage Series line, two of the four caps are made from 100% wool, and the other two from 100% leather – each with the signature 1996 World Series side patch, New Era flag logo, and MLB silhouetted batter logo on the rear. Each cap is lined with silk, and the infamous “A Spike Lee Joint” sign-off is stitched into the inner sweatband. Check out the new collection above, and a short video of Spike introducing the collection below.
Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Spike in the coming days, where we talk about the legendary red Yankees cap with the man himself.
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