[WELL-MADE] Hirohisa Yokoyama - Yokkoyama Hat Market

Let's start with an introduction. Who is Hirohisa Yokoyama?

I’m a hat maker and the owner of Yokkoyama Hat Market.I’m originally from Tokyo, Japan. Specifically, from Komae, which is a district in western Tokyo. 

How did you get into hat making and how long have you been doing it?

I’ve always been interested in creation, especially items that I could craft by hand. To be honest, I thought that making hats looked easy, which is why I started there. But actually, it’s a little bit harder than it looks, but I decided to stick with it anyway. Everything I know about making hats I’ve learned by myself. I’m completely self taught. 

Let’s see, I’ve been making hats for 17 years. So I guess it’s been a little while. I started  Yokkoyama Hat Market 6 years ago and I run it as a family business, so you might see my wife and daughter in the shop working with me. 

Where is Yokkoyama Hat Market located?

Yokkoyama Hat Market is located at 116 Eldridge St. It is part-office, part-studio and part-store. I make my hats out of the studio which is located in the back of the store. Everything I create is made there by hand.  

How did your relationship with Nepenthes NY begin?

Tacoma Fuji Records held a pop-up shop at Nepenthes New York a couple of years ago. When it opened I stopped by the store to say hello. There I met Takuya (Nepenthes NY Store Manager), since then we have kept in touch. This time, we finally found a project that made sense for both me and Nepenthes. 

 

How did you approach the design for the collaboration with Engineered Garments?

As with most of my designs, I took an abstract approach. I took a look through the Engineered Garments lookbook, and I thought about clothes that I had seen inside Nepenthes New York.
With that in mind, I let my creative process flow, and this is the end result. 

I hope that the pop-up and collaboration introduce customers to my creations and opens the door up for more fun projects.