Friday, September 17, 2021
When it comes to headwear, Anne Monlezun and Kevin Mattingly have got you covered
American Press | American Press: Some people can’t wait to slow down the pace when they reach retirement age, not Anne Monlezun and Kevin Mattingly. She’s opening a boutique to do what she loves and he began his online cap company so he can travel, see more places, meet more people and sell more caps along the way.
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3 comments:
This is so sweet. Especially both Anne and Kevin's reasoning behind doing what they are doing. There's clear passion there which will not only drive their businesses but also invite people in and keep their support alive. I love that they've decided to continue to be active throughout retirement. I think that that's important for elders. Once you let go of life and the things that you love, I feel as though that encourages your days to be shortened. I also feel as though things like this are so important to pass on to generations. It's people like Anne who want to keep these styled hats accessible and "in" that helps to keep classic the trends alive. She'll also be passing on her invaluable techniques, which I'm sure will be appreciated by many in the millinery world.
I found this article to be quite entertaining and fascinating; an elderly couple, who has devoted their life to making custom, unique headwear, details their extensive list of experience and reasoning for this odd retirement job. The part where Monlezun is explaining how a hat can make any person “unforgettable” and thus should be of high importance to political candidates was particularly amusing, but significant. It is true that if someone wears a striking article of clothing that they are more prone to being remembered, which is relevant to the next point the author made about hats being more than just a fashion statement. “A hat is a conversation starting point,” Monlezun states. What one wears can generate conversation easily, which in modern day may be exactly what some people are looking for. There are downsides that aren’t considered in the article to this; social media culture in today’s time could play off this idea quite negatively.
I think that this article gives me hope for the future of artisanal, small business fashion. With the rise of online shopping, consumers have access to countless options to buy clothes. Usually, this ends with purchasing a cheap piece of clothing sold by a multi-billion dollar company and, likely, made through exploitation. The flip side of this, though, is that anyone can sell their wares to people across the world. I think Anne Monlezun and Kevin Mattingly are doing a great job and encouraging that sort of handmade, small business consumption. Of course, they have the luxury of being in retirement and likely having a financial safety net. A lack of financial safety is what often takes small businesses out in the early stages. Regardless of their privilege, their handmade goods could do wonders to further the fashion industry towards more ethical consumption from small artisans.
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