These handcrafted, bespoke hats are perfect year-round accessories for a chic mountain look—and plenty of utility.
Hat-maker Nick Fouquet, pictured working in his shop, has released a 35-piece Aspen Collection; Fouquet wearing one of his recent custom creations.
Back in 2008, when Nick Fouquet lived and worked in Aspen at the now-shuttered bar known as 39 Degrees at the old Sky Hotel, the world of a fashion star must have seemed like a pipe dream. Undaunted, Fouquet eventually moved to the West Coast and began making some of the most appealing hats on the planet; he opened an eponymous shop in Venice, Calif., in 2015, offering custom hats and accessories. His business took off; retailers like Neiman Marcus, Moda Operandi, The Webster and Bergdorf Goodman sell his wares. Now, the prodigal fashion son has returned, opening a boutique in the heart of downtown Aspen. The 1,300-square-foot shop—decked out with Stahl and Band furnishings, with art uniting Venice Beach and Aspen—evokes a sense of home and matches the laid-back vibe of Fouquet’s personality.
“I love Aspen; it reminds me of an authentic Western-style movie set—it’s a small town with a big-city feel,” says Fouquet. “My hats and aesthetic are conducive to Aspenites, because they draw from an authentic design perspective, mixing modern city luxury style with Western and bohemian spirit.”
Fouquet’s Aspen boutique opening also marks the launch of the 35-piece Nick Fouquet Aspen Collection, with styles exclusively for the Colorado market. Pieces unique to the East Hyman store include the Ski Bum hat, which mixes a grassroots ski culture with Aspen sophistication. “I like to merge elements so that a hat is versatile for an Aspen local and an Aspen winter snowbird, who has a house in L.A., New York City or anywhere in the world,” says Fouquet. “If you take a Nick Fouquet hat out of Aspen, it’s still wearable—not just a cowboy hat.”
For the new collection, Fouquet also custom-designed hardware accessories, including sterling-silver hat bands adorned with Lone Mountain turquoise, rare fabrics and ski-inspired pins. “The sterling hat bands are from New Mexico, and the beaded hat bands are from a Native American family,” he says. “I made shapes, colors and silhouettes with Aspen in mind—even the liner is an homage to the town. There are a lot of iconic pieces, and I’m proud [they] have the Aspen feel.” 520 E. Hyman Ave., 970.315.3298, nickfouquet.com
Photography by: Nick Fouquet
