cap sustainability

We are excited to share that we have collaborated with Indonesian brand Topiku to produce (in our opinion) the world’s greatest sustainable caps, ethically handcrafted from entirely upcycled and recycled materials.

The main fabric of the caps is upcycled GOTS certified organic cotton twill deadstock fabric sourced locally in Solo, Central Java. Topiku work together with a manufacturer in Solo, Central Java, to collect their deadstock inventory. They purchase this discarded fabric in an effort to divert it from ending up in landfills—no additional energy, water, or chemical inputs necessary, just scavenging for hidden treasures buried in the basements of factories.

Topiku works together with local pemulung (trash-pickers) to salvage plastic buckets (among other plastic items) from landfills. After the buckets are collected, they are shredded, washed, melted, and then remolded to form the inner frame of the cap brim. This plastic is easily bendable and flexible, allowing you to customize the curvature of the brim and personalize it to the unique shape of your head.

Topiku works with local pemulung to collect aluminium soda cans that are cleaned and cut open into sheets, and then used to create buttons for the top of the caps.

As textile designers and print lovers, we couldn’t design a cap that didn’t have a hint of print. Each cap has one of our hand drawn or painted textile designs lining the underside of the brim. This fabric is repurposed from early samples of our organic cotton pareos.

Topiku utilises ethical craft, by collaborating with local home industries in the village of Cigondewah in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Home industries allow men and women to work from the comfort of their own home, participate in a closely-knit community, and provide them a platform to share their craft through their specialized skills. Their community of hat-makers are the only employer of women in the Desa Rahayu neighborhood in Cigondewah. They offer both men and women equitable work opportunities and pay them a living wage of almost double the local minimum wage. This commitment to industrial ecology forms the basis for long-term sustainable environmental, social, and economic growth in these developing communities.