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This Panama hat differs in time and density of handwork
Panama hats are often believed to originate in Panama, Central America, but in fact they trace back to Ecuador in South America. The raw material for Panama hats — toquilla palm — grows wild in various regions of Ecuador. Among these, the region of Montecristi and its surrounding villages is known for producing high-quality toquilla straw, ideal for fine and consistent weaving.
The climate and environment there make it possible to weave straw into hat bodies with exceptional fineness and uniformity. The hats woven in this region are known as Montecristi Panama hats, synonymous with the highest grade of quality.
It is here that the limits of this weaving are reached by Mr. Simon Espinal.
He is a weaver capable of producing Panama hat bodies with a fineness that no one else can achieve.
Panama hat bodies are woven by splitting toquilla fiber as the work progresses.
Mr. Espinal is able to divide the fibers to an extreme thinness and continue weaving at an exceptionally high density.
As a result, the hat bodies possess both a silk-like smoothness and remarkable durability.
Because of the intensity and density of this work,
his annual production is limited to one or two pieces.
That work is now carried on by his family.
The hat bodies woven by the Espinal family possess an exceptionally high density and a strong artistic presence.
At Kaori Millinery, these hat bodies are shaped
without diminishing that artistry, in accordance with the structure of the head and the wearer’s way of being.
The work of weaving, and the work of forming.
Through the overlap of these two practices,
a single Panama hat takes shape.
Espinal Family Panama Hat
Estimated delivery date
1 to 1.5 years (delivery time depends on the grade)
Hand-woven by Mr Simon Espinal himself : ¥9,000,000~
SS : ¥4,000,000~
S : ¥3,000,000~
A : ¥2,500,000~
B : ¥1,500,000~
Montecristi
Estimated delivery date
6 months to 1 year
Ultra Fine+：¥1,130,000〜
Ultra Fine：¥860,000〜
Super Fine+：¥700,000〜
Super Fine：¥570,000〜
Fine+：¥450,000〜
Fine：¥370,000〜