Presenting my last hat for the year of 2022. I was only able to create 2 hats for 22 and the theme of this piece was to reconnect with some of the roots of my brand.

It’s the typical 6-panel, flat-brim snapback with custom art and graphics. This design consists of a white embroidered accent on an all black hat.

The front panels bear the original hand-drawn “Roots” font from 2013 in a large, white puff embroidery. It’s a simple and plain hat on the outside with the Kava Roots Logo in the standard spot on the left panel.

The snap is white with a custom, black Kava Roots woven label attached to it.

The interior bucket is Satin and is printed with one of my first designs from 2009 which was a black hoodie with this same print on the side of the hood. It’s the dictionary definition of Kava and of the word “Roots” pertaining to the plant as well as a human. Written in my handwriting, it’s one of the earliest vectors I created and saved throughout the years.

Under the brim is an original illustration x Stephen Koa Kakaio of a Maori warrior doing the Haka with a Taiaha and wearing traditional garments. The Moko design was purposely designed to have NO symbolism of any whanau from Aotearoa. It is a basic representation of the style and motif of a very specific art that is strictly and inherently belonging to the Maori people.

The interior also houses the official Roots woven label and another custom woven label with the Maori flag in black and white. The stripping of the bucket has a repeated “Roots” font vector in grey and the hat is the standard 7 & 5/8 inches (with all snaps closed).

This hat, minus the interior, was not only one of the first 3 hats I attempted to design but it was definitely my best seller in Black and White. I’ve had a lot of requests to bring it back so I wanted to do that with some extra touches while still remaining simple and clean.

The meaning of “Roots” has always been the core of my brands philosophy and it translates to anyone of any ethnic background. Always motivating them to dig into their own past to solidify their identity and existence.

-Stephen Koa Kakaio

ALL PRODUCTS, ARTWORK AND GRAPHICS ARE THE ORIGINAL IP OF KAVA ROOTS LLC 2022.