Louise Guénette

An order for Panama hats can trigger a weaving frenzy among the 54 members of Ecuador’s Chordeleg Agricultural Craft Centre (CACH). If the request is large enough, every member’s mother, sister, daughter and neighbour starts weaving the fedora-like hats. Made from toquilla straw, the centuries-old Ecuadorean head coverings carry the name of the country from where they were once shipped to Europe.