At Freshness, we not only strive to bring you what’s next, but we also relish the chance to celebrate companies with established track records for quality. KANGOL is one such company, as it has a tradition that ranges from Savile Row haberdashery to Rock Creek Park hip-hop flair. We just completed the first of what we hope to be a continuing series of collaborative pieces with these legends of headwear. But before we describe the two innovative beanies we did with the brand, we must first give you a brief sketch of the foundations of a company that is 73 years old and filled with tradition but continues to expand.

While our readers may be most familiar with the likes of Slick Rick and Grandmaster Flash wearing the iconic Kangaroo logo, the origin of the company begins in the late 30s with Jacques Henry Spreiegen, who began importing French berets to England. The name KANGOL comes from the k in knit, the ang from angora, and the ol in wool. With those fine fabrics as the backbone of their early caps, the KANGOL company began making headwear pieces in 1938 in Cleator, Cumbria. While the beret was the first design focus, this soon evolved into the 504 cap. It was later donned by Grandmaster flash through the late 70s and early 80s as it gained popularity. Worldwide recognition followed with luminaries from all walks of life sporting the brand. Arnold Palmer wore his on the links, Princess Di wore hers during appearances, and the shaggy-banged Beatles who stormed the planet in the 60s wore theirs everywhere and eventually had an exclusive license with the brand. After hip-hop’s inception which gave KANGOL another international push, the company’s presence in pop culture is as strong as ever. Samuel L. Jackson is often seen with a KANGOL, as are Eminem and Madonna.

With an expanding number of model and fabric choices for Kangol, the brand is managing to thrive through difficult economic times that have seen the rise and fall of upstarts and established labels alike. According to Nic Harris, the Global Design Director, the key to success for KANGOL is an unwavering commitment to each detail of every hat that emerges from the factory. Harris, remarkably, is about to celebrate her 15th year with the brand. In a business where designers and corporate employees are in a constant state of flux, her tenure is something of an anomaly. When asked about her time with the British brand, she stated that KANGOL was “in her blood,” a statement she repeated three times in a 30 minute chat.

KANGOL is in a tenuous position of staying true to its roots and making the caps that people picture when they think of the brand. Almost like Xerox or Tissue, when one says, “KANGOL,” the product and the brand become synonymous.  Nic revels in the challenge of constantly revitalizing the 504 and Bermuda caps that the company has transformed into worldwide icons over the last 73 years. So while L.L. Cool J may have made some aware of the Bermuda Casual on his Radio album cover, Harris suggests that the company never made “hip-hop” items; instead hip-hop artists simply discovered products which were originally catered to the English gentleman, and adopted them to their individual style.

Freshness was fortunate to be able to collaborate on the design of two beanies with this storied brand. We have worked with the likes of adidas Originals, and Loopwheeler for collaborative products, and our present venture with KANGOL will hopefully lead to some other projects in the future. Nic suggests that these collaborations are a great way to keep the brand pushing boundaries while using the time-honored techniques that define the brand. Click through to read our interview with Nic and see the images of KANGOL’s storied past and exciting present.