With hislabel BxmBxm (pronounced Bam Bam),Robledo creates bespoke hats with dynamic and erratic patchwork,refined images,personal quotes and stolen memories from his Bondi studio.
“It started when I broke up with a girlfriend and I burnt,tore up and threw a hat that she gave me into the ocean,” says Robledo,a former music software developer. “I even ran over it with my motorbike a few times.”
Walking along Bondi Beach in the tortured headpiece,Robledo was approached by a passerby,who had just been through a relationship break-up and was seeking similar hat healing.
“I went home and looked up a YouTube video and that’s where it started. I had never made a hat before.”
Robledo learnt to steam felt,imported from Ukraine,over his kitchen kettle to accommodate different sizes,and tapped into latent stitching prowess to create intricate designs of cars,landscapes and animals.
“I can’t draw but for some reason I can stitch,” Robeldo says. “I knew I was onto something when people would commission me to do what I felt suited the project.”
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“There’s something about going back to basics. I was given an expensive steamer as a gift,but I get great results with my $30 kettle.”
Cricketer Michael Clarke requested an abstract,tonal hat while actor Momoa wears a pink patchwork design. “That man has a giant head,” Robledo says. “Then you have to factor in all of that hair.”
Originally Robledo,who recently completed a hat with native wildflowers for singer Kate Ceberano,anticipated more female customers but now has more men commissioning personal pieces.
“I think men are after something unique with meaning that they can wear in any way,” Robledo says. “It’s not about standing out. It’s about telling a story.”
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