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2008 Awardees
Rich Cofinco
Shoe Designer
Rich Cofinco, co-founder and head designer of Creative Recreation, started his artistic journey when he first emigrated from the Philippines to the US in search of greater opportunities. As Rich gained appreciation of different cultures, he grew fixated on the thriving hip-hop culture of the 1980’s and became inspired by the progressive graffiti, sneaker and art scene. This love for art motivated Rich to create N.A.S.A. (No Art Survives After), a graffiti crew that helped cultivate his passion and natural talent for art and design.
After using the streets of Los Angeles as his canvas, Rich decided to take his talent to the next level and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design at Cal State Los Angeles.
With the fusion of raw talent and formal education, Rich decided to put his skills to the corporate test. He began his career with Hughes Aircraft creating screen kiosks for planes. Uninspired by the lack of creativity and passion, he moved on to work for Vision Streetwear which enabled him to explore the footwear industry and set the stage for training in shoe design.
Later, Rich moved on to Vans where he met Robert Nand (co-founder and Senior Marketing Director of Creative Recreation). It was here that they were able to establish a solid friendship and working rapport.
However, like every true artist, Rich became stifled by working for a large corporation and was now ready to break off and create something of his own. With an overwhelming desire to move onto something more meaningful, Rich and Robert decided to part from the corporate environment and establish a footwear brand that was both innovative and practical.
Creative Recreation was born in 2002, and has been growing rapidly over the past six years. Rich continues to challenge and evolve the footwear industry with his progressive designs made to fit the needs of diverse, distinct, and cultured individuals like himself.
