LOS ANGELES − Crafting a hat could take Cody Wellema up to 10 hours.

His elaborate process, involving nearly 50 stages, feels like it belongs to a bygone era: Wellema shaped rare American felt over vintage wooden molds, utilized tools over a century old, stitched the lining by hand, and adorned his creations with antique ribbon.

“I committed to doing everything by hand many years ago,” Wellema remarked to YSL News. “Maybe it wasn’t the best choice, but that’s how we operate.”

Now, however, Wellema’s business − the Wellema Hat Company − has vanished, a casualty of the recent devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area that have destroyed more than 11,000 homes and businesses, resulted in at least 28 fatalities, and consumed over 46,000 acres. Many of these fires remain uncontrolled.

“Almost everything that was inside the shop is now reduced to ash,” said Shelby Wellema, Cody’s spouse.

Situated on the picturesque Mariposa Street in Altadena, the shop was obliterated as the Eaton Fire swept through, obliterating thousands of homes.

The Wellemas were among the evacuees forced to leave their residence in nearby Pasadena. They feel fortunate that their home was not damaged but are grieving for their hat shop and the memories it held.

On the night the fire started, the Wellemas managed to visit the shop, but could only save a few precious items, including Navajo rugs and a 19th-century sombrero.

“We honestly didn’t believe the fire would reach our shop, especially with so many homes in between,” Shelby reflected. “We checked on the shop around 10 p.m. that night, but by 10 a.m. the following morning, it was completely destroyed. Within less than a day, our whole community was obliterated, and it’s just unimaginable.”

A cherished high-end hat shop

Approximately nine years ago, Wellema relocated his hat shop from Santa Barbara to Altadena, designing it as “an extension of who I am.”

“Our children grew up in our store, which was a significant aspect for us. It’s so special to experience something like that in today’s fast-paced, commercially-driven world,” Wellema noted. “We might not have had much financially, but our lives were fulfilling because of our kids growing up in the shop.”

Customer Peter Zottolo shared with YSL News that Wellema’s personality greatly contributed to the shop’s charm.

“It was a welcoming place for families. People would drop by just to say hello and chat because Cody is such a friendly guy,” Zottolo recounted. “Whenever I passed by, I always made sure to stop and talk to him a bit.”

Carey Jones, an Altadena local who lost his home in the fire, told YSL News he had planned to visit Wellema’s store shortly before the disaster struck.

“I had been to the hardware store and remembered I wanted to check out his designs,” Jones expressed. “Sadly, I never did, and now I regret not visiting. It’s places like that and individuals like Cody that made Altadena unique.”

Impact of the shop’s closure

Derek Guy, a menswear writer, informed YSL News that the potential closure of Wellema Hat Company could have negative consequences for those supplying materials to hat makers.

“With the hat industry experiencing general decline, suppliers are similarly struggling, and as fewer artisans purchase from them, their businesses are put at risk,” Guy explained. “This creates a wider decline in the industry affecting the entire supply chain.”

John Gasper, an associate professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University, indicated to YSL News that the downfall of Wellema’s shop indicates a larger economic impact yet to come as the community rebuilds.

“Small businesses like his are inherently vulnerable,” Gasper highlighted. “Considering the enormity of the situation in Los Angeles, the repercussions for many small businesses are significant. It’s a compounding effect.”

Gasper explained that the absence of the shop would likely affect the local economy, although quantifying this impact could be challenging.

“If a recognizable figure frequents there, maybe I’d encounter them, or I might see friends who hang out at the hardware store. These are examples of what we term network effects,” Gasper said.

Guy emphasized that artisans like Wellema offer more than products; they provide a connection to the human experience.

“We cherish handmade items not for their perfection but for their human imperfections,” Guy remarked. “Philosophers such as Voltaire argue that acknowledging and appreciating these traits in crafts enriches our understanding of life itself: as we strive for perfection, we often fail, and embracing that fallibility reflects the beauty of our humanity, enhancing our appreciation of life.”

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the hat business

The Wellemas expressed to YSL News that while Cody desires to keep hats a part of his life, they are uncertain about the future of the business as it existed.

“This was truly a labor of love,” Cody stated. “While we didn’t earn much financially, the richness of our lives through this work was invaluable. I can’t envision what that looks like moving forward.”

He added that recovering many of the fire-affected tools would be a challenging, if not impossible, task.

“Even with a $200,000 cheque, I can’t just head to Costco and replace everything,” Wellema noted. “All my tools were a century old. It took years of dedication, relationship building, and resourcefulness to gather the necessary equipment to create my hats.”

Shelby stressed that the hardest part about their decision is the lost community surrounding the shop.

“The shop is gone, but so is a significant part of our community. Even if we wanted to recreate it, it would never be the same, and that’s the heartbreaking aspect,” she reflected.