afro-cap

This cap was designed with the needs and characteristics of very curly or frizzy hair in mind. The increased volume makes it possible to put the cap on without pressing the hair into an unsuitable shape. Curls already provide good protection from the sun, but sometimes that alone is not enough and you want additional protection, hence the shape of a “trucker cap”. On this basis, experiments with natural materials, including jute and coconut fibers, followed later. The focus on natural materials and sustainability was essential, as these topics also play a central role in the “natural hair community”.

Material: coconut fiber
During the first experiments with natural fibers, it quickly became clear that pure pulping or scooping would not work; some kind of binding agent had to be added. For reasons of sustainability, availability and processing, I decided to use a hot glue, and the first experiments showed that fibers that store a lot of water are unsuitable, as water inclusions occur when the glue hardens. Coconut fibers, on the other hand, were ideal because they absorbed the glue but not the water. They also have high strength after pressing and curing in the vacuum press. Coconut fibers are also a by-product of the manufacture of many curling products. This means that a resource such as coconut can be used more holistically.