Syracuse sophomore launches fashion line

Whitman School of Management sophomore Luca Cognata had a dream of starting his own fashion brand. The 5'5'' Cognata, who goes by Luca V, is an entrepreneurship major, and has dreamt of creating his own brand– and this September, he made it happen.

About two months ago, Cognata launched .Wordplay., a luxury fashion brand with a "chill style and bright future."

"The vision here at .Wordplay., is to show people to not be afraid, to let yourself be free… let the creativity and freedom takeover," he told The Tab.

What he lacks in height, Cognata makes up in his eccentric yet minimalistic designs.

Luca V in his own design.

An aspiring entrepreneur and lover of fashion, Cognata decided to make his dream a reality. As he enters his sophomore year studying in Whitman, he felt as if now was the right time to get to the drawing board and produce his designs. The first: a plain white t-shirt with the brand's logo over the left breast.

A lot of the symbols embroidered onto his apparel originate from the Japanese culture, which he is very fond of. "You'll find bonsai trees and lotus flowers on some designs," he said. "To me, they represent peace and longevity, and just overall happiness– that's what I'm all about."

Wordplay. t-shirt with Yeezy's

It's rare you'll see him walking around without his head up and a smile. Always an optimist, Cognata hopes to incorporate these ~good vibes~ into his brand in order to spread happiness.

As the brand launched September 26th, there hasn't been much exposure yet; however, sales have been steady. Before the release of the second collection, the brand must make a name for itself and let the designs speak for themselves: "More eyes across the United States need to see the logo before the second launch. I want it to be big, that's the goal at least," he told The Tab.

Right now .Wordplay. has 175 followers on its Instagram @wordplaynewyork. Cognata is a firm believer in the principle of exclusivity and luxury, which is why he wants his items to be limited in quantity. he wants his items to be limited to make them more wanted and luxurious. Cognata allowed The Tab to take a sneak peek into his design book– they are memorizing and bold, leaving you shocked and curious with the flip of each page. So, #spreadtheword, because in no time, the creativity and love for this brand will be huge.

You can find his items exclusively at wordplaynewyork.com.