May 22, 2012

A Tip Of The Cap To Toronto’s Rad Hatter

WHEN FRIENDS, FAMILY, even strangers began complimenting T.O.’s Dameion Royes on the cool lid (which he models below) he’d found at the bottom of a box, his biz brain began churning: Maybe there’s a business here. He set out to find the original designer, but all he had to go on was “Louis” etched on the tag. Eventually, he found the aging T.O. hat maker and quickly signed him on as lead designer. Today, 13 years later, Big It Up (at 58 Spadina Ave.) is Toronto’s hatter to the stars, with a staff of 31, five Toronto locations and international acclaim. How has Royes managed to stay on top all these years?

IS LOUIS STILL AROUND? Yes, although in a minimized capacity because he’s advanced in years, so he can’t do as much. But his mastery has not declined.

WHAT ARE THE MOST FAMOUS HEADS YOU’VE COVERED RECENTLY? We put a hat on Cameron Diaz last year, when she was in Peru; Naomi Campbell; the Backstreet Boys; the Ottawa Senators. So many.

WHAT'S THE HIPPEST HAT RIGHT NOW? The little stingy brim fedora. They can be made in straw, fur, felt and cotton. The brim is one inch to one and a quarter. For men, it’s turned up, for ladies, down. It’s fashioned after Al Pacino in Donnie Brasco.

WHAT’LL BE COOL A YEAR FROM NOW? A different rendition of the poor-boy cap. It’s one of those classic items that, as we say, will always have legs.

HOW MANY HATS DID YOU SELL LAST YEAR? Over 50,000 units last year.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HAT BUSINESS IN A RECESSION? The sales actually get better, and I’ll tell you why: as household incomes decline, people can’t afford to buy new outfits, so a new hat will actually jazz up an old outfit. So accessories actually gain in market share.

ARE YOU CHANGING WHAT YOU DO? Sure. We’re doing more as-you-need-it inventory and sending our best sales people to the locations. Experience makes a huge difference in a downturn.

This article appears in the August 2009 issue of Post City Magazines

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