Getting big attention from haute couture, Natural beauty overflows from Japanese designer’s hat brand HIZUME

HIZUME is a hat brand created by Nobuki Hizume, a Japanese designer based in France. HIZUME’s creations are distinguished not only by their beauty, but also by their pursuit of harmony with nature and society. Behind this is a brand philosophy rooted in concern for the environment and the goal of a sustainable society.

A True Calling to Discover What You Should Be Doing

Designer Nobuki Hizume was born in Shiga Prefecture. After graduating at the top of his class from Bunka Fashion College, he moved to Paris after working in Italy and Japan. He learned philosophy beyond the framework of dressmaking from the late Chie Koike, the 10th president of Bunka Fashion College, which led him to his roots.
He initially set his sights on making clothes, but after discerning what he wanted to do and what he should do, he decided to focus solely on hats. When he moved to Paris, he collaborated with numerous Parisian haute couture brands. His work reflects his passion for excellence and art, and in 2019 he became the first Japanese to receive the M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in the hatmaker category. His philosophy of respecting tradition while reimagining it with a modern sensibility has attracted many people to his work.

Natural beauty is sublimated into art with modern technology

From classic to avant-garde designs, HIZUME hats offer fresh surprises with each collection. They are inspired by the absolute beauty of the earth’s nature and sublimated into modern designs.
The fact that Mr. Hizume was born and raised in Shiga Prefecture, which is rich in nature, can be said to be the root of his designs. The fusion of nature and modern shapes results in sculptural hat designs. Their creations are not limited to hat making; their worldview can be felt everywhere, from fabric making to the design of wooden shapes that form the basis of their hats, as well as in the visual images and videos of their brand.

What is valuable is what is loved for a long time.

HIZUME advocates “using good things for a long time” in the fashion industry, where overproduction and excessive waste are issues. For example, HIZUME has introduced hats made from reused stuffed animals and shirts, and collaborated with KAIJIRUSHI to design long-lasting scissors.
At the same time, he is also aware of the dwindling number of hat weavers in Japan. His goal is to put hats on the heads of all mankind by the time they die. To achieve this goal, he has named his company “JBC (hat project for humanity)” and is aiming high. Based on the belief that “the best hat designer is also the best hat maker,” he respects the name of M.O.F., a French living national treasure, and spares no effort to pass on this belief to the next generation.

Designing a future that doesn't waste away

HIZUME says that he emphasizes how the brand is able to pursue what it should be in the future, without getting caught up in immediate profits. in order to create hats that should remain 10, 20, and even 100 years from now, he dares to emphasize the “incomprehensible”.
Having worked in the fashion industry, which demands immediate answers and where trends change quickly, Hizume therefore strives to create hats that are not short-sightedly marketed, but rather are based on what is truly necessary. In order for people to understand the true quality of hats, rather than their proliferation, he also keeps in mind the long-term prosperity of the hat industry, and seeks to create a form of hat that can reach more people.
　
HIZUME is a brand that shapes a vision for the future based on traditional techniques. Its challenge continues as a flagship of not only hats but also sustainable fashion brands.