Wyldaire
Oct 14, 2020 / Photo: Courtesy of Wyldaire
After working for over a decade in the fashion industry, Stephanie Amann decided to take a year off to travel. But when she tried to track down a hat for extra sun protection that was both fashionable and functional, very few options were available.
“You had to choose between an unattractive/packable hat or carry a hat around with you like a child,” Amann said. “I'm not one to compromise on looking good, even if I'm living out of a backpack, so I decided to come back and make a fashionable and packable hat for traveling.”
Amann combined her need for an ideal travel hat with her desire to produce ethical and environmentally-friendly fashion to create Wyldaire — a collection of mindful, locally-made travel hats and accessories.
Based in Brooklyn, Wyldaire thoughtfully selects factories to produce the fashionable hats, that maintain a high quality of ethical standards and ensures employees get paid a minimum of $15 per hour. Their commitment to local manufacturing also ensures that they keep their overall carbon footprint small.
To avoid the high turnover that comes with following trends, Amann also designs the hats to be timeless and last for years.
“Seeking inspiration from our surroundings and then ideating is typically where the design process starts; however, with Wyldaire we also incorporate the functional needs of the traveler. So we make sure the trim doubles as the closure system for easy packing,” Amann explained. “ We also have an adjustable band on the inside so you can share your hat; you can wear it with curly or straight hair, with hair up or down, and on a windy day. Every aspect of our designs incorporate a purpose. Even our hat bags are drawstring bags so they can be used as a day or laundry bag while traveling.”
In addition to the hats, caps and beanies they already produce, Wyldaire will be releasing a travel clothing capsule collection this fall. They have also started offering custom designed hats, and are working with a sustainable artist in Appalachia to offer ethically sourced feathers to add to the hats.
More about Wyldaire can be found on their website.
