Cado Hats
How did you become a hat lover?
We have loved hats since we were children, our dad used to wear "Tejanos," the Mexican cowboy hat, and mainly used it for sun protection. When we had a memorable evening or a party, he would wear his luxurious rabbit hair Tejana. He taught that it doesn't matter the occasion, wearing a hat will make you look and feel fabulous.
What made you want to pursue hat making?
It's hard to find hat-makers here in Mexico, and it's challenging to have one custom-made. So we decided to make our own hats. The hats we created grabbed attention; people started to ask us about them and where they could buy our creations. So we decided to turn our passion into a business.
Describe your creative process, from start to finish.
We start by choosing the color because color helps us to find the shape of the hat. After that, we aim to create unique pieces that are recognizable as a Cado hat. The process is not always the same for every hat. Sometimes it isn't as smooth, and we have difficulties with other designs… Every hat is different! Hats made by hand are not just an accessory; they are art.
Tell us about your favorite hat.
Our favorite hat is named Berne, which is half black and half white. The two halves are hand-stitched together, and the hat is hand-painted. Its design was actually an error, when we were in the process of shaping the hat, the white front part got stained, and we were inspired to paint it to cover the stain, accidents often create the best design solutions.
Your hats are fun and have so much personality. You play around with color, trimmings, shapes, and textures. Where do you get your inspiration from?
We like to create hats that look different from other hats; we love how a simple hat can look so much fun and with personality if you add a colourful trimming, a feather, or burning a pattern into it. Also, we love to custom make for our clients, and let them decide the colour, decoration, and shape.
Your collaboration with Roberta Vallina features a few fun and funky trimmings. How did that collaboration come about?
Roberta Vallina is a handmade jewelry designer from our hometown Chihuahua, Mexico. Who works exclusively with the finest quality Mexican materials. Our collection is inspired by the pre-Hispanic Paquimé and the famous artisans from Mata Ortiz. We decided to create something different that we had never seen on a hat before. Each hat is trimmed with semi-precious stones or silver jewelry like the deer with antlers hanging on the front of the hat.
Who are your biggest inspirations?
We love to travel, and the places we visit become our inspiration. So we name our hats after the cities we have explored. We know the hard work it takes to make a hat, especially on the creative side, if we had to choose one person, it is without doubt, Nick Fouquet.
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