Plain Genius: The Hats of Nick Fouquet

Where we landed in terms of design was a classic teardrop fedora. The base material is beaver pelt, which as far as Nick is concerned is the best for creating hats due to its strength and malleability. He chose the teardrop fedora, he says, because it is, “of the vein that someone like Winston Churchill would have worn. I was struggling with the shape a little, as an English bowler would have also made a lot of sense. But implementing the monotone element made me think the fedora shape would have been more versatile to wear in both places.”

While the colour of a pelt is very versatile in Nick’s hats — orange, blood red, yellow, beige, navy; whatever you like — it is the contrast he creates in the rest of the hat that trademarks his work against the competition and elevates his designs above traditional hat makers. Then, the bands are made from traditional grosgrain ribbons, or denim, or crocodile skin, or strips of cloth scribbled all over with extracts from books, or leather, with contrast rim ribbons, or patch stitching on the body, or metallic repose buttons, or parts cut out of the hat, or — of course — his ‘distress’ technique, which involves setting the hat on fire. We could go on.

The point is that the list is endless, but the magic lies in Nick’s seemingly unbreakable hot streak of getting it right. Everything fits and works, whether it is outrageous or sober. The Rake’s hat is the latter. A grey base with a traditional band, very London, Victorian — dirty but supremely elegant. Then running all the way around is an indigo leather belt with white stitching, giving it a denim feel, and a few extra touches like the pheasant feather, acting as a pièce de old-west résistance. Nick’s approach to these trimmings is clinical: “The materials I decided to use in terms of accoutrement were some special pieces I had kept to the side. For instance, the conch is from the midwest, a repose button done by a lady near Montana. The feather was a rare pheasant feather, and the leather band was hand-done by a friend of mine. All the elements came together beautifully. As for the colours and shape, I picked a steel-grey colour that I think resonated with the mood and tone of London as well as with a black grosgrain. I had a great time putting it all together, and am really happy at the turnout.”

"The magic lies in Nick’s seemingly unbreakable hot streak of getting it right."

In terms of manufacturing, the process begins by taking the chosen pelt and steaming it, to open up the fibres and make it malleable. The pelt is moulded around a wooden block and a piece of twine fixes it in place while what looks like a wooden ladies’ adult toy rolls the very tight twine down and forms a break line. The brim is then pressed down and the design of the hat takes shape — it is more recognisable, but there is more to do.

Once it has dried, the sanding process begins. The felt, if it is natural, which this is, still has a considerable amount of loose fibres, the texture akin to a Jack Russell or any other wiry-haired pooch. So the sanding smooths the texture of the hat. From here, the finishing touches to the shape are added. A rim cutter, which looks like a mini crutch, rolls round the rim to regulate its size (in this case three inches). The sweatband, embossed with the Nick Fouquet logo, is added using an over-lock needle to secure and hold the inside circumference. Once the band colour is chosen and added by hand, the shaping begins. It is worth noting at this point that Nick can still do plenty with the shape, and he tends to go with how he feels — whether it be Boss of the Plains, fedora, cowboy, bowler, whatever it may be. He steams the hat again and, in the case of The Rake’s hat, he pinches and manoeuvres the hat into the fedora shape you see here.

Mission accomplished. Two worlds that may as well be antonyms of each other provide succour to those who, like most rakish folk, need to express their city life and adventures in one garment but have hitherto found themselves empty-handed. As Nick puts it: “What I love about this hat are the details and the colour scheme. It’s elegant yet rugged; wearable yet powerful. It’s got a lot of character, much like the British but with a country sensibility.”

In its wearing, the hat has the formality to brush up well against a formal double-breasted pinstripe from Kent, Haste and Lachter, or even The Rake’s house tweed blazer from Huntsman. By the same token, should you find yourself travelling in full RRL outfit or similar casual dress, this will be a loyal companion to you. A hat for all seasons and styles, Nick has done it again.

Originally published in Issue 48. Subsribe here for more.