THE STORY

I bought a hat once — off the rack, and far more than I'd normally spend — and went home and pulled it apart to see how it was made.

That's more or less how Apes & Apples began. What I found inside that hat was so much simpler than I expected, and I remember thinking: I can do that. And I can do it better.

I'm self-taught, more or less. A short course in Berlin (where I'm from) gave me the very first basics, but most of what I know came from taking vintage hats apart, piece by piece, to understand how they were built — and using the beautiful old felt inside to restore them back to their former glory along the way. Combined with years of working in fibre, sewing, and fashion more broadly, it slowly added up to a genuine grasp of a dying art form.

Nine years on, I'm still making hats the same way — by hand, by eye, and by feel.

THE CRAFT

Classic felt hat-making is slower and more physical than most people expect — steaming, blocking, shaping, and finishing a single piece of felt into something structural, wearable, and entirely yours. It's a process that rewards patience over speed, and it's becoming rarer by the year. Every hat that leaves this studio is shaped, trimmed and finished by hand — working with wool, rabbit and beaver felts alike, vintage or new.

WHAT WE OFFFER

Custom Hats
Made-to-measure felt and straw hats, designed together with you and shaped to fit. From simple, everyday styles through to fully bespoke pieces — every hat starts as a conversation about what you actually want to wear.

Hat Restoration
Got a hat that needs a little love? Whether it's reshaping, resizing, or just a general shush-up, we restore hats back to their best — old and new, wool, rabbit or beaver felt alike. This is where it all started for me, so it remains close to my heart.

Crown Club
Small-group evening courses where you'll learn to make your own classic felt fedora from scratch, over six weeks plus a finishing day. No experience required — just genuine curiosity. Please click here to book.

Crown & Coast (coming soon)
A full-immersion hat-making retreat set in Nelson and the wider Tasman region — a week of hands-on learning, good company, and local exploration. Details coming soon

Interested in a custom hat, a restoration, or want to hear when the next Crown Club or Crown & Coast dates are released? Get in touch, or find us in-store at Common Threads.