{"id":1502,"date":"2019-02-07T13:22:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T13:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/douglaskurn.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1502"},"modified":"2019-11-21T10:31:13","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T10:31:13","slug":"max-a-hatter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/douglaskurn.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1502","title":{"rendered":"Max A Hatter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s<\/strong> amazing what you find on little islands. I met Max A Hatter<\/a> on Johnson’s Island<\/a> in West London; he makes hats in a very small studio, at the top of a spiral staircase (I seem to be sending a lot of time in small rooms<\/a> at the top of spiral staircases!) Max was introduced to me by Tim at Clement Knives<\/a>, who I photographed<\/a> on a nearby island making chef’s knives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Max’s hats are really quite unique; based on a bowler style but with influences from Sapeurs<\/a> and Yardies<\/a>, and with a Turbanesque – a detachable padding or turban, which is used for position and comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As well as being a hat maker of distinction Max is also a member of The Rad Orchestra<\/a>, a band for whom he plays the Ngoni<\/a>, a West African string instrument, but not one for convention Max has had his Ngoni made by fellow Island resident Peter Longfellow<\/a>, and Pete’s speciality is making musical instruments out of metal. You can see the Ngoni on the sofa in the portrait of Max, and there is more on Pete to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n