One of Aotearoa's oldest clothing manufacturers is nearing its 150th birthday.
Hills Hats' creations are worn by movie stars, musicians, police, pilots and anyone who pops into the Lower Hutt shop.
Running since 1875, it currently makes more than 60,000 hats every year. It has made hats for numerous celebrities, such as Guns and Roses.
Kiwi hatmaker uses its head to last a century and a half in business. (Source: 1News)
Hills Hats owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy said a man named Chaz Hill came from Bristol, ending up in Wellington where the business was then started.
However, 2024 is expected to be one of the toughest years in decades, according to Smuts-Kennedy.
Demand from a New Zealand Defence Force supplier has recently come to an end and, to keep costs down, Hills Hats has not refilled vacancies in the last year.
The company is also clawing back international sales which were slashed by Covid-19.
They've proven adaptable in the past, making masks during the pandemic, and crafting new products out of New Zealand wool from Cape Palliser.
Workers at the business are masters of their craft, with one staff member, Atish Baran, being at the tools for more than a decade.
He hopes to see his work on the heads of many more happy customers for decades to come.
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