Dear Diane and Shaded Viewers,
“For the passion” was something that kept filling the airwaves when I visited the charming SuperDuper Hats studio. This is something journalists often hear but when I was listening to the story of design trio, Ilaria and Veronica Cornacchini, and Matteo Gioli, how SuperDuper started as a case of personal interest when they just wanted some hats for themselves and couldn’t find any, this time it felt genuine.
Ilaria – In hindsight, we think if you don’t start this way, it won’t happen. Beginning with a goal to make money won’t get you anywhere. We just tried this for ourselves and it worked.
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Of course, the progression from this simple ambition in 2010 to now being one of the most talked about hat companies in the industry, has not necessarily been so simple.
Veronica – At the beginning it was really difficult cause there’s no hat-making school in Italy. There is in the UK, but not Italy.
SJW – So how did you do it?
Matteo – With a lot of mistakes.
Veronica – We looked for videos and books, and found one written by Anna Maria Niccolini. So we tried to reach her but she had no phone but we somehow discovered her address and we called all the people who lived near her and finally we found her and she physically showed us how to treat materials with techniques that are nearly lost. With these skills we made lots of trials. Still now, everyday we try something new.
In January 2011, SuperDuper Hats produced their first collection that was accepted into Pitti Uomo. Though “we were still seen as the strange people with hats. Now of course it’s a trend and people are more used to the idea.” But their success goes beyond this because last year they won the prestigious award Who is on Next.
Veronica – It changed a lot. It’s one of the most important awards in Italy. We won the prize for men as well as a special mention for women, and were given the opportunity to present our work to a very inspiring jury. After this, we had a show in January that was a very important moment for us. In Italy when you start, you’re just another young designer but when you win a prize like this, you’re approved.
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Now SuperDuper has two factories in Florence about 15 minutes from their studio, where every one of their hats is handmade.
Ilaria – Tuscany has a great tradition for hats. Though these factories are the last places that really make top quality product after the huge industrialization push in the 60s in Italy.
Not coincidentally this was the moment when widespread hat-wearing and public understanding of headwear began its decline.
Matteo – Hats were really useful as protection to cover from rain and sun, and for ceremony. Now it’s more of a fashion item. So of course for us a point of inspiration is always from archives but we don’t do replicas. Our inspiration is from the past and then we reinvent it.
The issue we’re facing today is that hats are generally either high quality and very classical or contemporary and cheap. We want to change people’s ideas about this, so we try to keep out collections away from a vintage look whilst using the highest quality materials available and bring in the innovation and the story. Changing the colour of the ribbon is not enough.
Veronica – Hats are a really special accessory because they’re so close to your face, a framer of your individuality.
Matteo – That’s why the storytelling is especially important for us. Every collection, every piece we present has a concept, a story of inspiration.
Much like the Hobo Hat. Launched last season as a solution to travelling with hats, SuperDuper developed this lovely and intentionally squashed hat, fit with its special flat wooden box. They also have the Mercurial Hat for women that uses a functional zip to have interchangeably three hats in one.
Veronica – This is also easy for travel as it can close in the box but it’s not even the best seller as people are still a bit afraid, we think.
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Whilst Japan and the rest of Asia remains to be their main market, you can find SuperDuper Hats around the best stores in Europe, US, at the Strand Hatters in Sydney and in Paris’ L’Eclaireur next season.
http://www.superduperhats.com/
Images by Philippe Robichaud
A special thanks to Veronica, Matteo and Ilaria for inviting me to their studio.
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Happy Friday,
Sophie Joy
