HATSMITHE (hatmaker)
A WORK IN PROGRESS
Hatsmithe began life as a line of vegan-friendly felt fedoras produced in small batches overseas. Today, we are moving closer to the process, working with our own hands, paper (patterns) and cloth crafting one hat at a time from our studio in Puerto Rico.
A mINI MANIFESTO | 2025 Edition
Designed with purpose and built to last, every hat reflects a quiet rebellion against throwaway culture and a return to things made well. No shortcuts. No mass production. No animal-derived materials. Just honest craftsmanship, ensuring quality, longevity and minimal waste.
We are inspired by heritage forms, reinterpreted through a personal lens with interesting cuts and unexpected details that feel familiar yet original. From the well-worn everyday hat to the well-kept statement piece, each one tells a story of the maker as well as the wearer.
JOURNEY
[FAQ: Hatsmith-with-an-e? Yes, it’s silent. Just a cheeky nod to my English heritage; think olde, programme, tonne etc. innit]
The Hatsmithe | Keri
Chief hatsmithe and bottle-washer Keri trained in fashion design and pattern making in her native England and went on to establish several small hands-on businesses as part of a husband and wife duo. Namely, a clothing brand and shop in San Francisco then a long running streetwear and hat store in Puerto Rico.
This diversity of experience and the places she has called home has greatly influenced her style and approach bringing different aspects of heritage, tailoring, and streetwear/fashion together.
As an avid hat lover she has worn all kinds, especially wool felt berets. However, she came to learn that wool isn’t kind and that no animal should be made to suffer, least of all for fashion. So when she finally went vegan and discovered there were very few, if any, dedicated cruelty-free hat labels out there she started her own…
2018: The Vegan felt Collections
We set out to center the brand around our favorite fedoras and porkpie hats that are traditionally made from wool and fur felt. We were able to bring that vision to life by working with a factory in China known for manufacturing high quality traditional and faux-felt fedoras. After some protoyping back and forth we proudly launched our first small-batch capsule collection in 2018.
The Reworked series
Makers at heart, it wasn’t long before we began reworking some of our in-stock fedoras by hand, transforming them into unique one-offs and made-to-order limited editions.
A hiatus and an epiphany
After taking a step back, we realized that our true passion aligned more with this hands-on, slow-made approach (and the times). So we took a take a leap of faith decided to bring hat-making home.
2025: Hatsmithe studio
Moving forward we will be re-centering Hatsmithe around a slow-made collection featuring tailored cloth caps and hats made entirely in-house by the Hatsmithe herself, with love for hats, the process and all living things.
The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk?
Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832)
But, can they suffer?
“’nuff said” | HATSMITHE (EST.2018)