We began this year with a goal to create a hat for our next summer that would not only make a statement on it's own but also compliment our earrings. We had envisioned a delicate and simple design made with high quality natural fabrics.
The most important criteria above all was to ensure our hats were hand-made by an ethical manufacturer. To us, this meant that no worker was exploited or endangered to create our hats. It was essential that we were working with a manufacturer that fosters and rewards skills and craftsmanship. After we hand-sketched our ideal design, we went out searching for someone who could bring our design to life.
Production
We got in touch with Tetiana from 'DimilerAtelier' who has spent many years handcrafts and sewing hats in her studio. After many discussions about what we had envisioned, she agreed to work with us on this project. Tetiana handmade the first set of samples and sent them to us. From there, there were many trials and errors before we agreed on the perfect shape, fit and brim size.
We made the decision to create our hats in 100% linen fabric. Linen is a breathable and light-weight fabric which is ideal for hot weather (perfect for beach days in New Zealand) and tends to dry much faster than cotton. The 3-inch quilted brim gave the ability to fold back the brim in any style.
Embroidery
The final touch was embroidering our Ori logo on the front of the hat and we had this done locally by 'Creative Embroidery' in Auckland. The logo on the hat is a simple and discrete way for us to add our mark onto our creation.
Final Design
We couldn't have been happier with the final outcome. We decided to name the hat Kumo (雲) which translates to Cloud in Japanese. Not only for the colour but also the coverage that the hat provides much like clouds on a Summers day. You can purchase the Kumo hat HERE.
We can't wait to see you all wearing our hats this summer.
Sasha & Kaori
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