Stetson 160th Anniversary Book Project

My relationship with Stetson began a decade ago. I’ve been a longtime fan of the brand, largely inspired by my father’s love of country music.

Through that connection, I became friends with the staff at JJ Hat Center in NYC, one of Stetson’s distributors. I was given the opportunity to visit Stetson’s showroom and photograph their hats as a personal project. I shot the work on film and processed the images in my own darkroom.

After sharing those photographs with Stetson, I was invited to shoot their brand lookbook. From there, the relationship grew into campaign work and an incredible opportunity to contribute to their Footprint book project. I photographed historical pieces in my studio and also traveled to Texas to shoot at the factory.

We rented an oversized SUV, packed it with photo equipment, and drove Texas highways with country radio playing in the background. It was a true dream-come-true moment—one that connected my work to the Americana I had admired since childhood.