"A hat is an accessory that defines personality"

A conversation with Alin and Radu Iorgoni, two modern-day hatters

Alin and Radu Iorgoni are two brothers who have a special passion: hats. Starting from the simple desire to complete their outfits with a unique accessory, the idea of making them took shape. Partly because they could not find hats they liked in stores that they could afford to buy, and partly because of their inclination towards fashion and clothing design, instilled since childhood.

One of their ambitions is to bring the custom of wearing hats into the contemporary world, which, they say, is a noble accessory that defines personality.

The two are from Hațeg but carry out a good part of their activity in Timișoara, where they also plan to open a showroom.

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Where did this passion for hats come from? How and when did you start making them?

Alin: The idea belonged to Radu, who was passionate about hats, and at his suggestion we got to work.

Radu: We made our first hats primarily out of the desire to have unique, up-to-date clothing accessories, inspired by modern art, that would add a touch of good taste to outfits. In our internet searches, we found a hat designer from America, more precisely from California, Nick Fouquet. We really liked the hats he made, but unfortunately we couldn't afford to buy one. And then, after some time thinking about it, we said "let's start making them ourselves!" Especially since our grandmother gave us some of her talent in this direction - fashion, clothing creation. She ran a tailoring department, where she only made quality things and somehow passed this idea on to us. We practically grew up among materials, scissors, needles and threads. That's how we started making our first hats, in the summer of 2014.

During this whole period we encountered many obstacles, firstly related to materials, then to the footings (where can we find them, who makes them). I received some first aid from the father of my colleague at the bank, Sami, who took care of this part of the carpentry, preparing the footings. He made us seven, eight pieces and that was the beginning.

After we got our first boots, we started testing different materials. Unfortunately, in Romania we can't find quality materials anymore, only felt with a very high percentage of synthetics, and that doesn't help us at all. We started looking for suppliers from other countries, we made a few models for ourselves and for our friends.

 

Do you remember what the first hat was made?

Radu: Yes, it was supposed to be a gray hat, but it actually turned out to be something strange. Along the way, we improved the manufacturing method, learned various secrets, and figured out how to make a good, quality product.

 

Where did you gather all this information? It's not a common job and I imagine it wasn't exactly easy.

Alin: We inherited a large part of the secrets from our grandmother, who also made hats, and later we researched various specialized websites.

When did you decide to pursue this passion of yours?

Radu: We can't say that the marketing part was necessarily one of our desires. We didn't start with that idea. Many of our friends were asking us to make hats for them, and at some point we realised that the whole process involves costs. So, in order to be able to make more hats and to become better and better, we decided to go out on the market. But that happened much later, only in 2016, 2017.

Alin: The decision to invest more in our passion was only made last year, at the end of September, when we thought about turning this hobby into a small business.

It took quite a while from making the first hats to deciding to build a business.

Alin: Yes, because we didn't focus on that. It happened more by itself, through recommendations and requests.

Radu: And the fact that it happened this way brings us some joy, because we didn't start with the idea of profit, of entering the market and we had time to test all the stages of manufacturing and life of a hat. We saw how the materials behave depending on the season and we realized where we needed to make improvements. Equally important to us were the opinions of those who wore them.

How long does it take to make a hat?

Radu: We can't say exactly how long it will take to make a particular hat. Because we chose to make unique hats, we contact the customer, and if they want the hat to be personalised in a certain way, maybe more sophisticated, it's clear that the making will take longer. And because each process is done by hand, of course the manufacturing also takes longer. But, in general, the hat will be delivered in about two, three weeks.

Alin: There are many stages before we reach the final product.

 

When someone contacts you, what are the natural steps, from the beginning of the collaboration, to the creation of the desired hat?

Alin: Before the sale, there will be a consultation. First, we need to get a size, after which, depending on the customer's wishes, we try to personalize that hat, through accessorizing, through the intensity of the burning of the material, if applicable, and through various other methods.

Radu: The hats also have to go through certain substances to keep their shape. Here the process again depends on what the customer wants – whether the hat needs to be harder or softer.

 

Who do you address? Who are the people who cross your threshold most often?

Alin: Our most frequent customers are generally people between the ages of 20 and 50, people in the cultural-artistic field, who appreciate beauty and are passionate about fashion. Hats are, after all, a noble accessory.

 

In addition to custom-made hats, you also have personal collections. Can you tell me more?

Alin: Yes, starting this year. We released a summer collection and the fall-winter one is coming. We plan to continue with about two or three new collections per year.

 

What kind of accessories do you use and how do you customize the hats? I know that in the latest collection, which is to be released soon, there are also painted models.

Radu: Yes, painting, we use the best tapes – we try to invest a lot in quality, feathers, metal accessories, leather. We also take into account the passions, memories and character of our clients, details that we often incorporate into our creations.

Depending on the texture of the material and the style of the hat, we also use the burning procedure. If the customer wants a vintage hat, then the hat will definitely be flambed for a longer time.

Alin: We usually try to reflect each client's personality in the final product.

Are there certain models or styles that are more sought after?

Alin: I think we can relate more to colors. For example, the most popular ones are camel, khaki, white.

Radu: In terms of shape, hats with the largest possible brim are very sought after.

Alin: Yes, overall the classic lines are kept, but we bring new elements to bring them into the realm of today. We often drill holes in the material to create the impression of "old", by perforating or burning.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Radu: We get inspiration from absolutely everything around us – from a trip, a short getaway in nature. If we see something we like, we try to translate that into our collections.

Alin: It's a momentary inspiration, first transposed onto paper, then into the models we create. A good idea can come to you in the middle of the night or early in the morning – most of the time it's a spontaneous idea.

 

What does the newest Iorgoni collection include, which I know is built around a story, and when will it be launched?

Radu: The autumn-winter collection is based on concepts such as elegance, dance, freedom, which I took from the values and actions present in people's daily lives. I imagined a story about a ballerina who tries to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of big cities and find her freedom again. In her search, she meets a nature lover, with whom, after countless discussions in which they discover that they have a lot in common, she will set off on what will become the journey of their lives.

Alin: The hats are themed, they represent their passions: she loves ballet, so we chose to paint ballerinas on the brim of the women's hats in the collection, he loves nature – the men's hats feature representative landscapes.

The collection will be launched soon, we are on the last 50 meters.

Radu: In terms of colors, I opted for magenta, heliotrope, black and camel.

 

Have you prepared a launch event?

Alin: We will have to adapt to the current situation, but yes, we plan to make a film, in nature, that will illustrate the story above.

 

There are many people, including myself, who don't necessarily know how to wear a hat. Any recommendations?

Radu: I think most people in our country need more self-confidence when it comes to their clothing style. I would like to point out that there is not necessarily a rule according to which you should match your hat to your outfit. This is more about attitude and personality. A hat is an accessory that defines your personality.

Alin: That's exactly what we're working on. We're trying to collaborate with as many well-known people as possible, in order to bring the hat back into everyday clothing.

Interview published on the Timișoara Newspaper website