Hornskov Kobenhavn is a small family millinery established in 2015 by Peter Robert and Cathrine. In their workshop situated on the Christianshavn island in the heart of Copenhagen, Cathrine focuses on the business side of things while Peter makes custom made hats as well as designs for the wholesale market.
Photo credits: Hornskov København
For as far as he can remember, Peter has always been wearing hats. Disappointed by the lack of original design, milliners, or even training in Denmark, he decided to embark upon the adventure and learn the trade by himself, often thanks to the Internet. Today, Hornskov Kobenhavn hats are sold around the world. “Learning it the hard way sort of creates a special feeling about all the different processes and techniques. Setting the hat on fire however is very satisfying. This is done to get the felt extra smooth and to get rid of excess fur and any stray hairs from the sanding process.”
Photo credits: Hornskov København
“Both our product and our production is ever evolving. We always do what we can to improve on the quality of our hats and trying hard to keep production time down, without making compromises regarding quality.” In order for the hats to last and be passed on to the next generation, the couple carefully chooses quality raw materials from all over Europe. The felt comes from Portugal, the leather, used for the bands, from Sweden, and the ribbons and fabrics for lining are sourced locally. “We are however very depended on the local maker community, in which we are deeply connected. Here we find help for when making new tools and developing new products and concepts.”
Photo credits: Hornskov København
“Peter inherited is grandfathers matchbox collection, when he passed away. Years later when he started making hats he thought putting matchsticks in his hats would be a great way to honor his grandfather. Workers in the hats golden age in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s would often keep matchsticks in their hats for convenience. So it isn’t really a unique thing, as other hat makers and hat wearer also use matchsticks in their hats, but it’s part of the story we are trying to tell.”
The Hornskov Kobenhavn collections offer both unique and classical styles, like the Fedora or the Homburg, all made by hand to respect their history and their traditional process of fabrication.
