The Touring Cap has been through several versions. Initially, I imagined myself at car shows, selling chinstraps from the boot of the Cobra. If someone liked the idea, I would punch a chinstrap into their cap right there.
But at some point, a different voice in my head spoke louder. I remembered something I took from a conversation with Don Cochrane from Vertex Watches, together with this idea I had that if I made an object to a very high quality, it could still hold value in 30 years’ time — just like the vintage watches and objects I search for and collect in antique shops.
The way I was imagining the Touring Cap was changing. I started thinking less about adding a chinstrap to a cap and more about the quality of the final object. I wanted to end up with something I would be proud of. An object that would survive time and trends. This is when I started looking for the best hatmakers in the UK, hatmakers who could deliver the best Touring Cap possible, and that search took me to Laird Hatters London.
In the meantime, I met Bill Vero. Bill had spent his working life around headwear, and he had personally handmade some of the old racing helmets I had been researching on the internet. This was a very exciting moment for me. While holding one of my Touring Cap prototypes, he said:
“I’m impressed with what you’ve done. It’s a simple idea, but it’s a good advancement within a sporting cap for a particular use. You’ve got good materials, you’ve got a good idea, and it’s something slightly different in what would be a very competitive market, but I’m sure you could find a niche. And this is a marketable product. It might not be a huge seller, but something you can manage yourself.”
For a while, I could not stop thinking Bill Vero was right. Perhaps I should test the market with a “simple idea”.
Then I had a long-awaited meeting with Giuseppe Savoca, who had been introduced to me by the British Hat Guild. We spent almost two hours talking about the Touring Cap and the research behind it. After that meeting, I decided to invest in the Concept and Product Development of the Touring Cap. Around the same time, I reached out to an old friend, Emanuel Barbosa, to help with the PIAFEIRA brand identity.
Today, I have both Phase 1 of the Touring Cap’s Concept Development and PIAFEIRA’s Brand Identity.
Today, I can go back to those hatmakers and ask again:
What is the best PIAFEIRA Touring Cap you would make?
