Meet a hat maker
Meeting with Véronique Bahuaud from Atelier Chapotis, a new craftswoman based in Pernes-les-Fontaines specializing in the creation of hats for men and women.
Recently installed on Place de la Juiverie, Atelier Chapotis offers all sorts of hats for men and women. His Atelier-Boutique is incredibly diverse, right from the door step we dive into his universe marked by the diversity of colors, patterns, shapes, inspirations and details added to each of his creations.
Véronique is attentive to all projects and can create a tailor-made hat according to demand, for events and weddings. It also organizes workshops for the general public so that everyone can discover this exceptional know-how and leave with their own hat.
Passionate about this profession, Véronique has been a creator for more than 25 years and decided to share with us some facets of this unique know-how. During our visit, we saw a step-by-step demonstration of creating a hat.
1. The choice of shape and material
Atelier Chapotis has more than thirty molds that would define the shape of the hat, the material is also very important, and for this demonstration we will use Italian straw.
2. The modeling
To be able to handle and give a certain shape to this Italian straw, Véronique dips it in hot water which will have the effect of softening it, she then threads it onto a mold made of linden wood, one of the most resistant woods. As it dries, the material will take the shape of the mold while being fixed with a ring pointed with Argentine pins to hold it in the mold and, here, to give it this rounded shape.
3. Drying
Mandatory step so that the hat does not deform, you must allow a drying time which may vary depending on the material and shape of the hat. For Italian straw, about fifteen minutes are enough. Before that, Véronique uses an iron to smooth out the surface of the hat and leave no irregularities or creases.
4. The topping
According to her inspirations, Véronique adds trimmings to the hat to add volume, relief, touches of color and many other aspects. For this creation, a sisal band in drape will be added to the upper part of the hat.
All that remains is to take the hat out of the mold, make some adjustments if necessary, and here is a brand new piece from Atelier Chapotis!
