Our Process

Our story begins at the hands of Ecuadorian farmers and artisans in Cuenca and Manabí, where the Toquilla Palm grows and the home of the well-known Panama Hat. Carefully picking the leaves of the Toquilla Palm tree, farmers peal and separate the the leaf fibers, blanch them in hot water and hang the, to dry. The resulting straw is the material that we use to weave the Panama Hat.

Don’t be fooled by the name, Panama Hats are actually an Ecuadorian tradition- they accidentally acquired the “Panama” name as this was the hat worn by the construction workers of the Panama Canal.

Once dry, artisans, primarily women, take these dry fibers and begin the weave. Each hat weave, made with skillful detail, takes close to a month to produce based on centuries of tradition. Once the weave is over, the shapeless hats, called “campanas” (‘bells’ in English), are washed and dried in the sun. We then take these ‘campanas’  to Medellín for their ultimate transformation into actual hats- ironing, trimming, sowing, lacquering, designs and the final Pina and Coco touches.

We partner with different types of artists– graphic designers, illustrators, graffiti artists, painters and other creatives- from around the globe to produce unique, one of a kind designs!