"Trendy" hat

"Trendy" hat

Its cap is slightly curved and triangular. The edge is slightly falling at the front and raised at the rear

The Panama hat is known only by that name, although in general descriptive terms it might be referred to as a straw hat

Interestingly enough, the name does not reflect the original location where the hat was traditionally manufactured, which is Ecuador. Rather, the name refers to the location of international sale where the rest of the world physically received the hat, because in the 17-18^th century most South American exports were sent through Panama. By appearance, it is generally light colored or white-bleached, with a medium sized flat brim that curls slightly upwards, and features a ribbon band.

The hats are specially woven from leaves that come from the toquilla palm, which is a plant that has similar leaves to a palm tree. The flexible and durable nature of the plant's leaves are a key component in the elements of the hat, as it can be rolled up for packaging and will still retain its shape, thus making it very portable. The fact that the hat is only made from the leaves means that it remains extremely thin and light. Although the tightness of the weave depends on which type of straw is used and how tightly it is woven (some are tight enough that they can even hold water), the hat in general is great in hotter climates because the weaving makes it breathable. The light color of it is often associated with the tropical seaside and thus accompanies summer attire.

The manufacturing process of the hats varies greatly depending on the quality of the hat, and the most prestigious and high quality hats are known to come from Montecristi. The general production involves processing the straw and weaving it into the hat form, shaping, trimming, and smoothing out the material, then blocking it so that it will maintain its final form. However, the higher the quality of the hat, the more intricate the details of each step. Producing extremely high quality hats involves a rigorous process of months of human labor, as special straw is cut from plants found in remote parts of Ecuador, multiple layers of treatment are done to make the straw ready for weaving, and each strand of straw is selected for quality and hand-split into finer pieces. The quality of a hat can be measured by the size of the straw pieces as well as the tightness of the weave.

The final step in production is steam blocking the hat, which essentially sets the weaves in place according to the specific desired shape and size. One of the best benefits of blocking is that it assists in the hat's ability to maintain its form thereafter. This is why it is possible to roll the hat up, which makes it extremely easy to pack. Various steps of the production can be skipped or passed on to factories for machine processing depending on the production budget and quality standards. Additionally different designs, colors, and types of straw can be integrated throughout the hat for decorative purposes.

When buying a Panama Hat, one should consider the weave and the grade. The two types of weaves are the Brisa weave, which uses less straw and is more cost effective, and the Cuenva weave, which uses a larger quantity of straw, making it higher quality and more resistant over time. The grade refers to the width of the straw pieces, which are measured by standard, semi-fine, and fine, with fine yielding the highest quality hats. Despite its painstaking nature of production, the result is one of the most durable and practical options for headwear.

My desire was to create beautiful hat cases, cases that combine elegance, functionality and refinement. For this, I called upon my friend, the very talented Brazilian designer Gabriela Goldschmidt De La Fuente. The main design objective was to create an image that reference the G in the Gedilva logo, perfectly representing the brand signature. Gabriela created a sleek and dynamic design in two colors that created strong visual recognition of the brand. The motifs representing a stylized G, refer back to the logo to give a very aesthetically appealing look.

I wanted the hat cases to be fabricated in France. French craftsmanship represents the highest manufacturing quality and expertise in luxury items. I selected Multi Services Carton in Paris, who have specialized in producing luxury packaging for many years. Each of my cases is made exclusively by hand with flawless manufacturing quality.

I wanted a case that would be representative of the quality of my brand, and that matched the style and panache of the hat within the case. When you purchase a Gedilva designed hat, you will possess a high fashion and high quality hat and case set that will accompany you throughout your life.