Help Nelson Hat Co. officially launch!

Greetings! I am Michelle Antoinette Nelson, the Chief Hat Maker at Nelson Hat Co , a self-taught atelier and recently certified Hat Master known for crafting bold and adventurous custom handmade 1-of-1 headwear. I create in my late father's name, our family name, and I am dedicated to the art of producing not just hats, but timeless creations that seamlessly blend everyday wear with the allure of museum-worthy artistry.

I've launched this GoFundMe for two reasons:

I am now pursing this dream full-time and your gift will help cover the start up costs of launching Nelson Hat Co. which will have a work studio in Maryland. I will also need pop-up shop supplies, hat making materials, lodging, ensuring that I eat food, etc...

I appreciate your gift and I want you to know that at Nelson Hat Co. each meticulously handcrafted piece serves as a testament to my commitment to enduring style, destined to not only grace the present but to appreciate in value over time. These are more than hats; they are heirlooms in the making, destined to be cherished across generations.

Welcome to Nelson Hat Co., where tradition meets innovation, and every hat is a story waiting to be told. For a custom piece inquire here :)

Our Bolivian Wool Adventure:

We are a mobile hat company creating and sourcing all over the globe. So, here's a how we got some kick ass wool!

In the summer of 2023 in a Mexican town called San Miguel de Allende I bought a beautiful hat that I learned was made of Bolivian wool and I loved the weight and the quality of the piece. The next day I looked up Bolivian wool and discovered there was a hat factory in Sucre that I hoped I could source wool from as a solo hat maker trying to rekindle the disappearing art of making hats from scratch. I quickly mapped out my very first journey to South America and bought plane tickets for the Fall of 2023 to Bolivia.

There we were welcomed into the factory, left with enough wool for hat making to launch the company, and we filmed some of that experience! Check it out:

More stories of our 2023/2024 adventures to come! Donate and stay updated