Buntal Hat

BUNTAL fibre is the long light coloured strand extracted manually from the leaf spine of the BURI palms, the most stately and tallest of the Philippine palms. BUNTAL’s natural flexibility, water resistance, and natural breathability make this fibre ideal for weaving hats and has placed our hats amongst the most luxurious hats in the world.

Our extraction is done in the coolest and most moist periods in the year to maintain freshness, smoothness and flexibility of the fibres.

A detailed process of assortment is necessary for delivering a STUDIO ANISS hat, clear and even with a pleasing minor variation in natural color. BUNTAL fibre are soaked, boiled and dried then flattened in preparation for the weaving process.

Polyhemp

POLYHEMP FABRIC is hand-woven from pure ABACA fibre with cotton, silk or pineapple fibre. ABACA fibre is proven to be three times stronger than cotton and silk. Like the palm it is extracted from, the material has a natural form and body.

Even the fastest weaver can only produce two meters of POLYHEMP fabric a day, making it a truly luxurious material.

Wood

Wood is not a usual material to be used in hat making and millinery. When cut into wafer thin sheets it is a light and delicate material with organic properties and amazing potential. The wood used in our hat and accessories are lightweight and resilient.

Balsa wood is a soft textured blond/grey timber, with very little grain. It is soft enough that can be easily blocked and shaped and needs nothing more sophisticated than a knife and steam; and it refers back to the original timber hat blocks that we pin our materials to for blocking.

The Weave

How fine our hats are? With an average of 65,000 knots by expert artisan hands and up to 9 days per hat. Weigh an average 85 grams. These incredible hats are graded comparably with the Montecristi Fino Fino hats of Ecuador.

Having negligible weight, generous ventilation, a snug fit and securely fixed, our hats are supremely comfortable. Every ANISS hat body is made by three artisans. The first is the Lead-Weaver who sets the structure of the strand and the coil. The woven fibre is mounted on a conical wood block which is used to shape the crown of the straw hat.

Our Body Weaver takes over to do the crown up to the brim. Closing Weaver, who closes off the fibre strands which are individually woven to define the perimeter of the brim. The straw hat is further pressed to tighten the weave and give it a shinier finish. The hat body is then put on a wood block and ironed to give the final touch.

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material which is a specialty material used in millinery and hat making.

It is one of our favourite materials to use for its unique texture and versatility.

There are countless different types of leather. Our most favourite types to use are sheepskin and cowhide.

It can be used for the main body of the hat or embellishments and trims.

Sinamay

Hand-loomed textile made with ABACA fibre. The ABACA fibre is extracted from the stalk of the plant. The ABACA plant is indigenous in the country because of the warm, wet climate and volcanic soils, which are suited for its cultivation. It is a biodegradable and sustainable fibre. ABACA is considered the strongest of natural fibres, being three times stronger than sisal fibre; Compared to synthetic fibres like rayon and nylon, ABACA fibre possesses higher tensile strength and lower elongation in both wet and dry states. The Philippines is the world’s largest source and supplier of ABACA fibre.

Felt

Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres together. Our felt is made from animal fibres such as fur and wool.

Felt can be very firm or very soft depending on how densely it has been pressed.
We use 100% natural sheep wool felt that are steamed and blocked into shape and stiffened to maintain the shape.