An elusive Petone personality called Hatman travels the world selling his New Zealand-made hats.
Simon Smuts-Kennedy is a third-generation apparel manufacturer who runs Hills Hats, a company which is almost 150 years old.
But like everything else in the past few months, the demand for hats has plummeted - so Hatman turned his attention to masks.
One of the oldest companies in New Zealand, Hills Hats produces hats for people here and overseas, but with society largely going hatless since the 1960s, the family went high-end.
Soon musicians, celebrities and socialites were taking note, with hats reemerging on the fashion scene. Hills Hats has even collaborated on a hat for popstar Lady Gaga.
Hatman, a hatted superhero, has since become a mascot for the future of the hat industry.
“One day I donned a mask and got a pretty response and it sort of just developed into this chaotic nonsense, really,” Mr Smuts-Kennedy explained.
He says it’s “incredible” to see how his hats “can lift a spirit”.
“You can get someone walking in here and trying on a hat and by the time they leave they've had a real buzz. You've given them a sense of that's who you are now because it changes you."
But now the family business has had to adapt again, with Hills Hats taking a knock during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We switched out pretty quickly, three days prior to lockdown, and thank goodness we did - we've had a fantastic response.
“If you're in a confined area and someone's coughing, if you've got your mask, you're not going to feel silly now to put it on."
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