Meet Victoria Hegert | Entrepreneur & Law Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Hegert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

My thought process in starting my business, Hat’achik, was to sell a product that was both sustainable and sexy. My dream is for anyone who puts on a Hat’achik Hat to feel a boost in confidence, and know that their purchase is supporting business practices that are both sustainable and ethical. Specifically, in a time where fast fashion is a threat to humans and our planet. I hope to see more sustainable fashion lines emerge to give consumers ethical choices and so I took action and started my own.

I have a love of fashion, art, and nature. I found a business that allowed me to exercise these passions at the same time. I get to chose and design a line of hats and then organize and execute photoshoots to market them. The photoshoots are always a very creative and exciting processes for me. I get to bring a vision and turn it into a tangible reality. For my first shoot we were shooting our Bold Collection. I actually asked some of my friends who I admire for the way they live and the kindness and authenticity they exude. The shoot location featured murals done by local artists that were filled with color and personality. I thought they complimented our mission to spread “Achik” or brightness to others perfectly.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I got married when I was twenty years old, my husbands family lives in Quito, Ecuador and we visit often. The city of Quito is surrounded by numerous active volcanoes, the landscape is as beautiful as it is intimidating. During my trips to Ecuador I noticed key differences in my American values and Ecuadorians shared values. Specifically, the deep respect and love for the earth and nature. Immense care was taken to ensure an individual, “only take what the earth can give.”

Just outside of Quito the Quichua people, a native group, sustainably source raw materials from the mountainous countryside. With the raw materials they weave and craft, hand made hats. The quality and craftsmanship was unlike anything I had ever seen anywhere else. Upon learning more about the process I came to know why. All the hats are created by artisans who learned the hat crafting process from their ancestors. Hat making is a long tradition for the Quichua people. The Quichuas have created hats on their own terms for hundreds of years. There was no evil factory, no abuse of the earth, and each hat is unique, not mass produced. I fell in love with this and needed more people to know about these hats. My business partner, Vivi who lives in Quito, Ecuador wanted to embody the spirit of the Quichua tradition in the brand so our name Hat’achik pays homage to the process and ancient traditions that are integral to the creation of each of our hats. “Achik” is a Quichua word that means “brightness.” Vivi and I worked to create a line of hats that we felt would bring brightness to the lives of anyone who wears one of our hats.

We have two collections, the Neutral Collection & the Bold Collection. The neutral collection was designed to be very wearable, neutral shades and classic silhouettes . Our bold collection was designed to make a statement, with brighter colors and more daring silhouettes. With the help of some of my gorgeous friends (both inside & out) I organized my first major photo shoot. Shooting our bold collection was such an artistic rush and I was able to get my vision for the brand to become a reality. I look at the images from the shoot and see faces of people I respect and love, I could not ask for a better expression of what I wanted my brand to embody. For six months, we selected what products we would sell, I built our website, and we worked to build a presence on social media. On July 30th we launched and sold out of numerous styles!

All of our hats are made to order, & made to last a lifetime. Our launch was a huge success and we are so happy for the opportunities we have received to share our company story. My hope is that we will continue to spread “Achik” to as many people as possible, and bring some brightness to the lives of others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the beach more than anything. That is where you will find me if I have any free time! I also love hanging out with friends around Wynwood, there are some great cuban coffee spots to hang out in!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Patrick is extremely confident in my ability to succeed. Starting a business requires you to keep going through a lot of doubt inducing moments, having support is crucial. Patricks confidence in me helps inspire a confidence in myself when that waivers. My business partner, Vivi is so optimistic and such an incredible help in making something go from an idea to a reality. I am extremely thankful that we have such a beautiful partnership even given a language barrier and a considerable distance between us. Shoutout to my friends and family that have supported and shared my business with others. It makes a huge difference in our growth as a brand. I am grateful for caffeine as well, as a law student and a business owner energy is often in short supply. Ultimately, I thank god for any success I find in my life.

Website: www.hatachik.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hatachik.usa/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hatachik.usa/

Image Credits
Victoria Hegert