Anatomy of Identity: How an idea became Coffee Affair.s

Coffee connects

We would like to start with a short text by Tom, written quite early on in our Coffee Affair.s journey, which has always been our starting point and guiding principle.

Coffee connects.
People drink coffee on every continent.
Coffee rarely tastes the same.
And it brings the most diverse cultures together.
Coffee provides food for discussion.
And sometimes makes you pull a face.
On other days, it puts a smile on that very same face.
And not infrequently, it leaves a warm feeling in our hearts at the end.

What coffee cannot do, however,
is speak.
To tell us all the beautiful
and sometimes sad stories
that are told every day in all the cafés and coffee shops
all over the world.

The world is full of stories.
What about yours?

It is precisely this connection between coffee and people that is an important part of
Coffee Affair.s and was the initial spark for “Anatomy of
Identity”.

More than just a merch idea

Almost exactly three years ago, our journey began with the idea of a small merch collection. But the longer we worked on it, the clearer it became: we didn't just want to print our name on clothing. To us, merch felt too much like something short-lived – like fast fashion.

We wanted to create something of our own. A brand with thoughts, attitude, and an identity you can feel in every piece. Something that tells more than just where a garment comes from.

Step by step, the original idea turned into Coffee Affair.s.

From the first cut to the finished collection

The planning alone took almost a year. During this time, we collected ideas, researched colors and cuts, and looked at fabric samples, discussed them, discarded them, and rethought them. We also worked with a designer in the process. Together, we created initial patterns. From the initially raw designs, we had samples sewn in order to try on the cuts, develop them further, and finally find the final shapes.

We looked for a sewing workshop, experimented, and finally found our production facilities in northern Portugal and Italy. With every decision, the collection took more shape.

A color world with coffee at its heart

The colors were also intended to create a connection to our world. In addition to the four main colors Espresso, Oat Milk, Mahogany Rosé, and Mocca Meringue, London Fog was added as a fifth color for our linen shirt. We found a unique name for every piece, connecting a coffee variety with the respective color. A hoodie in Espresso, for example, is called Caturra x Espresso // Hoodie. The names pick up on varieties such as Arara, Paraíso, Caturra, and Catuaí. This way, each piece carries its own combination of color and coffee variety, bridging the gap to the origins of coffee.

A symbol that connects people

With Coffee Affair.s, we wanted to create a way to make values visible: the love for coffee, for genuine connection, and for the stories that people share with one another. Imagine discovering someone somewhere in the world wearing a Coffee Affair.s piece. You don't know each other yet – and yet you immediately recognize and feel something in common.

Especially in a time that often feels turbulent and confusing, this can remind us of what really matters. Of listening to one another, not losing sight of the person opposite us, and approaching each other with understanding. Perhaps it is just a small start – a sign of connection that allows a conversation to emerge and brings us closer together for a moment.

So, from many thoughts, conversations, and decisions, "Anatomy of Identity" was born: a collection that contains a piece of our personal journey. And with the hope that it connects people and reminds us that kindness and understanding for one another always begin with ourselves.