Eye-catching hats: Margot, the Mexican brand that your closet is missing
Sometimes, to make something great we need to get outside our comfort zone and open our eyes to new horizons. This is the story of Maria Pérez, a young and talented founder of Margot, a very special lifestyle hat label based in Mexico.
What makes a brand special? Well, it's not just how beautiful the product is, but how it got to be created. I believe that’s the true value and identity of the brand, and it’s something Margot has nailed in her vision board.
A few years ago, Maria was living on exchange in Australia, and during this time she was forced to unleash herself from any preconceptions and step into a whole new reality. She enjoyed her walks on the sunny Australian coast, she loved the sight of beautiful people on the beach and started admiring their sense of style.
During this time, she began working as a clerk in the internationally known surfer brand Quicksilver, and she began spotting the very obvious trends CAPS! This may sound a bit odd, to find hat wearing so revealing, but the truth is that in Mexico, where Maria is from, hats and caps are not worn as often as you may think.
As the months progressed, Maria fell more and more in love with the hats and caps that the locals wore in such versatile ways: dressed down, dressed up, hanging out at the beach, bright colours, embroidered, and some more minimal. Mixing her visual experience and having worked at the retail shop, a passion started within her, and she asked herself a two simple questions: Why don’t I bring this trend to my home country? And how can I make it special?
She now had a vision, a purpose and a big challenge at hand. Not only was she setting herself into a big entrepreneurial venture, but also guiding the Mexican consumer into a new style.
It’s been a bit over a year since her project Margot began, and she has not only succeeded in her conversion rates, but has had a direct impact on her local community by creating jobs and incentivizing future designers to kickstart their own labels.
With her team and with the feel good vibes she brought back from her trip, Maria created her signature monochromatic unisex bucket hats in bright pastel colours. She also added a staple element to her brand: the French chic allure. Her embroidered dad caps hold a positive French motifs ‘l’amour au Soleil’. Doesn’t this sound perfect for summer?
In my opinion, some of the most special pieces in her repertoire are the nature fiber hats, such as Le Ranch Hat and Miel et Sucre hat, which you can get internationally at Ananá Collective, or Mexico-wide in her online store. This line also includes the Expedition hat, which is 100% handmade in Mexico by local artisans, and it's just WOW.
Photo by Margot, ft. the Expedition Hat. Photos above via Instagram.
Most recently, Maria added tote bags with her statement French phrases and she also worked with local university students to create a scarf collaboration line.
With contributions of this young and adventurous designer, amongst other talented creators, I see how more and more women are taking that little risk of making headwear a more trendy look in the Latin American region, and honestly, I can’t get enough of it! I myself was one that didn’t think caps were the right fit for me, but it was all about just finding the right one.
I truly hope you can add Margot into your hat repertoire, and contribute to the support of local artisans, but also, embrace this new cool lifestyle for every day use.
Photo ft. @marianaveme
If you liked this post, drop a comment below, and subscribe to my mailing list in the home page.