A collection is never born all at once. It sketches itself in small touches: a shade glimpsed at a market, a ribbon rediscovered at the back of a drawer, the silhouette of a passer-by on a windy day. At Aurega, these impressions gather for months before becoming hats.
It all begins with the material
The first choice is always the material. Fine or rustic straws, soft or firm felts, summer cloths: it is the material that imposes its character and quietly traces out the shapes that are possible. A lively straw calls for a clean-cut brim; a more docile fibre will accept gentle curves.
Then comes colour. In the workshop’s store room, the spools of trimming thread form a living palette, from sand to midnight blue. Matching a grosgrain to a straw, daring a contrast or choosing discretion: these tiny decisions give each model its tone.
From sketch to prototype
The first attempts rarely come out perfect, and that is just as it should be. We block, we look, we begin again. A brim shortened by a fraction, a crown hollowed a touch, and the hat changes face. The prototype passes from hand to hand until everyone in the workshop finds in it that air of self-evidence that good hats have.
Our partner hatters and boutiques play a precious role here. They know their customers, their heads, their habits. Their feedback helps us adjust the depth of a crown, or keep a classic we had thought of replacing.
For her and for him
Each season, the collection is developed for women and for men, with deliberate crossovers: many models can be worn by either, and it is often each person’s own bearing that decides. When the last trimming stitches are in place, the collection leaves the workshop. It no longer belongs to us: it is waiting for its heads.
