On Sunday evening, Bad Bunny made the world smile with a Super Bowl halftime show that was bursting with joy. The Puerto Rican artist used his 14 minutes in the spotlight to celebrate Latin American culture, providing a much-needed message of unity. 

Taking place on the world’s biggest stage (with 128.2 million viewers), every detail of the halftime show is thoroughly planned out. To broadcast a 30-second advert during the game can cost brands up to 10 million dollars, and whatever fashion brand the artist chooses to wear during the halftime performance is a huge advert in itself. It’s also an opportunity to showcase independent designers – like Lady Gaga did when she joined Bad Bunny on stage in a custom Luar gown. 

Although the man himself opted to wear full Zara on the day, at one point he was in conversation to wear the independent Pakistani-American-owned brand, FOUND. On the night, like the rest of us, founder and creative director Faraz Zaidi was awaiting the halftime show with bated breath – crossing his fingers that Bad Bunny would emerge wearing the hand-embroidered accessories that he’d created for this very moment. 

Sadly, the designer was left disappointed. He took to Instagram earlier this week to express his feelings: “We custom-designed sets for Bad Bunny that almost made it to the Super Bowl stage,” he wrote. “But ‘almost’ stories rarely matter. It only counts when you land it.” The pieces had been shipped from Pakistan to California, the press release was ready to go, and yet, things didn’t quite unfold as planned. 

Even so, by telling the story of what could have been, Zaidi has still managed to get the world’s attention. Founded in 2023 as an evolution of his former brand, ProFound, FOUND weaves together Zaidi’s South East Asian heritage and New Jersey upbringing, resulting in a luxury, gender-neutral brand built on craft and storytelling. 

Though FOUND didn’t score a touchdown at the Super Bowl, it still managed to use the missed opportunity to gain global interest. Without a doubt, there will be more people who know the brand today than there were at the start of the year. Below, Zaidi talks us through what happened, what’s next, and what separates FOUND from other brands.

What were the pieces that you designed for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance? 

Faraz Zaidi: Over the past year, we’ve been working closely with Bad Bunny’s stylist, Storm [Pablo], on a series of custom, hand-embroidered accessories created for his tour performances. Over time, those pieces became something of a uniform, worn consistently by him across multiple shows. The Super Bowl moment was an extension of that ongoing relationship and creative dialogue.

What was the inspiration behind it? 

Faraz Zaidi: Much like a lot of my personal design language, I approached these pieces through a similar lens in the blend of workwear and ornamentation, using heavyweight cotton twills and canvas as a foundation, then contrasting those materials with intricate hand embroidery inspired by South Asian techniques.

When did you find out that he wasn’t wearing it? 

Faraz Zaidi: We had our fingers crossed right up until the moment the show began. Our focus was on making sure the pieces were created and delivered on time, which they were. Beyond that, we trusted the stylist team’s judgment entirely in deciding what felt right for the moment and the stage.

How did your relationship with Bad Bunny’s team begin? 

Faraz Zaidi: It started organically. We exchanged DMs for a while, then met up a few times in New York and built a relationship from there. We come from similar walks of life and share a lot of overlapping interests, and for me, the best collaborations happen when there’s a shared vision and a mutual sense of direction from the start.

How did you feel when you realised he wouldn’t be wearing FOUND at the Super Bowl? 

Faraz Zaidi: Naturally, I was a bit bummed at first. But once that initial emotion passed, I realised I’ve been here a thousand times before. I’ve spent most of my life as an entrepreneur, and moments like this are just part of the process. There are rarely ever any guarantees.

Why did you decide to speak about it on social media? 

Faraz Zaidi: It wasn’t about expressing disappointment or cynicism in the slightest. The post came from a place of respect and love for Bad Bunny and his team, and I’m sure we’ll continue working together even more deeply in the future. I shared it to speak to creatives more broadly – to remind them that every meaningful opportunity deserves a full commitment to the work itself. We’ve been conditioned to believe that effort only matters if the outcome matches the dream exactly, and we’ve become overly attached to results. I wanted to remove that barrier and communicate the value of the process and meeting the moment, regardless of where it ultimately lands.

What would it have meant to you to have that moment? 

Faraz Zaidi: For me, it would’ve reflected the journey: years of building, the responsibility tied to my craft and culture, and the labour of artisans whose work often exists far from stages like that. Seeing those stories carried into a space like the Super Bowl would have been affirming, but it doesn’t define the work. The work continues either way.

What separates Found from any other label? 

Faraz Zaidi: It’s built from lived experience rather than trend cycles. The work sits at the intersection of heritage craft and everyday utility, shaped by my South Asian roots and a rural American upbringing that didn’t always feel centred in fashion. It comes from making work that holds memory, labour, and intent at the same time.

What are you working on at the moment? 

Faraz Zaidi: Continuing to build out the FOUND world. We’re in the process of expanding further into wholesale with a larger global footprint, while refining the product line, exploring new and interesting fabrications, and telling more potent, intentional stories. A lot of the focus right now is on clarity, making sure each piece, reference, and collaboration feels aligned with the larger narrative we’re building, rather than adding noise for the sake of growth.

Do you have an end goal for FOUND?

Faraz Zaidi: I see it as something ongoing, an evolving body of work rather than a destination. We’re growing steadily and looking to align with a few key partnerships, and at the core of it all is making really good products that people genuinely want to wear, whether that’s a piece that carries a deeper story or simply a well-made leather jacket. As long as the brand continues to grow with integrity, supports real craft, and tells honest stories, it’s doing what it’s meant to do.