LEITH BUCKET HAT IN NAVY VENTILE®

A lightweight, water proof bucket hat in premium Ventile® fabric with a wide brim designed to protect you from the elements.

This hat represents our vision for our brand. We demonstrate a lot about who we are through our premium cloth selection. We also like to produce as responsibly as possible and work with local partners. So this season we decided to use end of roll 100% Ventile® left over from our technical outerwear, and develop and make a water proof bucket hat right here in Edinburgh.

Partnering with Kalopsia, a social enterprise, we have produced a Made in Scotland Bucket Hat creating living wage skilled jobs in our city. Craftsmanship from young entrepreneurs making Kalopsia an important part of manufacturing in Scotland for the future.

"For me it’s about making in the UK and also using Ventile, one of the first performance fabrics that I was introduced to, so it’s a nostalgic design harking back to my roots a young designer. The first time I worked with Ventile® was when was involved in the designing of the Ltd Edition Everest Parka for Nigel Cabourn in the early 2000s. Nigel taught me about Ventile®, the history of it, it was originally used to make hose pipes in the 2^nd world war, it’s 100% cotton but it’s so tightly woven it becomes waterproof. I loved the fact that it felt natural to touch, was around before Goretex or synthetic fabrics and could be used for performance properties."

Ventile® was created in 1943 to save the lives of the RAF. Pilots needed a garment that was cool and comfortable in the cockpit, but warm and impenetrable if it came into contact with water. With nothing that offered this functionality on the market, a team of dedicated scientists pioneered a radical solution at the Shirley Institute in Manchester and, after several months of testing, Ventile® was born.

The unique weatherproof qualities of the fabric ensured that it was also widely championed by outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Ventile® was used in the first summit of Everest in 1953 and by Sir Ranulph Fiennes when he crossed the Arctic.

Available in Navy (Ventile) and Military Green (Italian Nylon)