Company embraces New Bedford heritage adding new lines to iconic brand
(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) – Finding inspiration in the company’s headquarters locale of New Bedford, Mass., AHEAD is injecting imagery of the city and surrounding community into its Spring 2016 catalogs to illustrate where its creativity is born. The company has shifted focus to design both its men’s and Kate Lord apparel lines by color story, and has found color inspirations from its beautiful, historic seacoast location.
“We are watching our brands evolve right in front of our eyes,” said Chuck Lord, AHEAD’s chief creative officer. “This is apparent in the upscale look of the catalog, and the amazing styling of our apparel. The pieces in our Spring 2016 lines are being designed with an emphasis on alternative logo placements, in unison with new ornamentation techniques and graphics. It is a convergence of creativity.”
AHEAD is emphasizing bold and vibrant colors as it prepares to introduce new apparel collections. In the midst of celebrating its 20th anniversary, AHEAD will unveil the new lines at the Las Vegas-based PGA Fashion & Demo Experience (formerly the PGA Expo) in mid-August.
On the men’s side, three new color stories – all featuring distinctively different yet trend-right looks – will be rolled out with polos, outerwear, shorts and caps designed for mix-and-match combinations.
1. The “Tomato/Nectar/Ink” color story mixes a deep, traditional red/white/blue patriotic feeling with a twist of orange (Nectar) for eye-catching shelf appeal.
2. The “Calypso/Marine/Carbon” collection combines a wide range of blues starting with cyan-infused light-colored tones of sky blue (Calypso), medium royal blue tones (Marine) and deep water shades nearing navy (Ink). The colors are accented with white and Carbon (a medium shade of grey) for a very nautical, Caribbean, springtime palette.
3. “Keylime/Black/Steel” focuses on a single dynamic burst of acidic light green (Keylime). This bright hue is strong enough to stand on its own, and is supported with neutrals such as Steel (medium grey with a slight hint of blue), white and black.
Each AHEAD color story is merchandised with a number of fabrication, textures and stripes. From conservative to more modern, the combined polo and outerwear assortments provide a wide variety of looks. Among the new items being introduced are:
* Natick Yarn Dye, Auto Stripe Polo. With a three-inch wide bar stripe, this eye-catching polo serves as the road map for men’s Spring ’16 by pulling in and unifying the colors within each collection.
* Norwood Gradient Mini Stripe Polo. The 100 percent polyester jersey features a gradient stripe against a white background, combined with white sleeves for a very modern look.
* Franklin Chest Print Polo: Another white background, this polo showcases two colored, bold chest stripes for high visual impact, and looks best with color coordinated sleeve embroidery for an athletic, sporty and stylish look.
* Rutland Ombre Chest Strip Polo: This new chest stripe polo comes in thermal regulation with heathered yarns woven to create the stripe details, while providing a subtle visual texture that carries the color in a very sophisticated, yet less “sporty” manner.
* Gardner Half-Zip Pullover Vest: A new knit layering piece, the 90 percent polyester/10 percent spandex interlock vest is available in four colors, and looks best when adorned with AHEAD’s new Performance rubber appliqué custom ornamentation.
On the women’s side, two new color stories will be introduced for Kate Lord:
1. The Peony/Silver/White color story features warm shades of pink (Peony) as the main color on some styles while also used as an accent on white and grey (silver and pewter) ground pieces.
2. Seaglass/Indigo/Keylime is a bold but feminine color combination. The deep blue of Indigo bridges the greenish light blue Seaglass together with the brighter, more acidic Keylime green. The Seaglass helps to soften the same Keylime color used so boldly in the AHEAD line.
Among the new items being introduced are:
* Gradient Leopard Print Polo in Peony and Seaglass:The gradient animal print featured in these styles is sure to be a favorite. Peony is featured in a short-sleeve polo and the Seaglass color in a sleeveless style.
* Geometric Gradient Print Polo: A new twist on a diamond pattern was introduced by adding a gradient print that starts bold at the hem, and fades into the ground color on the upper half of the shirt. It comes in indigo as a short sleeve polo and white in a sleeveless body.
* Diamond Panel Print: With focus on the back yoke, this sleeveless polo is another great roadmap style. It is available in Pewter and Indigo.
* Hatley Sleeveless Princess Seam Polo: A new polyester/spandex jersey sleeveless polo has been added to the basic performance assortment. It features upper yoke white piping accents and silver rim buttons.
* Southwick Heather Stripe Pullover: Tonal one-inch wide heather stripes in six feminine colors make this peached polyester/spandex jersey pullover a must have in every wardrobe. The forearm seams were designed specifically to provide locations for custom embroidery.
* Sudbury Zip Front Jacket and Sutton Half-Zip Windshirt: The ultimate in lightweight performance fabric, these styles feature contrast zippers and stitch details that are perfect for all kinds of weather.
To further capitalize on the graphics that have made the company so successful, AHEAD is also introducing a new Slub Cotton T-shirt for both men and women. For men, the Nantucket Slub Jersey Short Sleeve Crew Neck Tee is cotton, weighs 5.2 ounces and available in eight colors: Maroon, Pepper, Chamois, Kelly, Waterfront, Sterling, white and black. For women, the Berlin Slub Jersey V-Neck Short Sleeve Tee also is available in eight colors: Carnation, Papaya, Chamois, Apple Green, Seasalt, Sterling, white and black.
“AHEAD has developed a new series of printed ‘vintage casual’ graphics that work harmoniously with the relaxed nature of the Slub Cotton… matching the graphic technique and styling to the item is key,” Lord said. “Our new Performance rubber applique looks amazing on our technical outerwear because the techy look of the rubber is a perfect match for the fabrics. Moreover, we make every individual applique in-house to order — no set-up charge or excessive lead time, and perfect color matching to each of the items you have chosen. That’s hard to beat.”
As part of unveiling its Spring ’16 catalog, AHEAD has injected its local personality – with its New Bedford, Mass. roots – into its brand to help differentiate the company from the competition. Located in the New Bedford Business Park, AHEAD is one of the region’s largest employers.
“Embracing our heritage is apparent in everything we do, and we believe it gives us a competitive advantage,” said Anne Broholm, CEO, AHEAD. “Using the city as the backdrop for our catalogs just made sense, and should also help to give AHEAD an even more recognizable identity as we continue this approach in future publications marketing efforts.”
Lord added, “The city is loaded with the elements that creative people thrive on: history, beautiful architecture, casual eateries and shops, and a multitude of art galleries and music venues. Our staff of more than 40 artists is constantly bombarded with inspiration simply because they are immersed in such a creative community. It’s in the water and soil.”
The company will be exhibiting its Spring 2016 AHEAD apparel and headwear, plus Kate Lord Collections, in booth 602 at the PGA Fashion & Demo Experience at The Venetian Resort, Aug. 17-19.
For additional information access the website at
www.Aheadweb.com.
