THE BRAND’S HISTORY

The first hat

The first hat was made on an impulse.

After having seen a photo of a hat made from strips of fabric in a Burda magazine, I decided to make a hat for myself.

With no reference patterns or experience in making hats, it is worth noting that the photograph contained only the following caption: made with strips of fabric, glued onto the interlining…

I went to the living room table to make cardboard patterns from cereal boxes. I took plates and pizza pans to get a suitable diameter and designed and sized flat shapes.

To achieve the hat's truncated cone, I geometrically designed "a section" that would serve as a base for applying the fabric strips and would give the hat the height I wanted.

I traced and cut strips of fabric from used clothing and placing them alongside each other with pins in concentric circles, obtaining the top and bottom of the hat. After being tacked and sewn, they were ready for the next phase: creating the volume.

After assembling all the different parts, I completed my first hat in 2016.

S.B.

The name

The name, Sol e Brumas (“Sun and Mists”), resulted from the need to name that first hat, because, happy with the result, I decided to participate in the contest, “Discover Portuguese Sewing”, with it.

No, it didn't win the contest, but it did win a name for what would become a Marca Açores (Azores Brand) in 2016 and a Registered Trademark in 2018.

Made in the Azores, it was the Azorean climate which inspired the name:

“It represents the unpredictable climate of the Azores, where the four seasons unfold in a single day, when the sun and mists combine in a profusion of affable colours”. S.B.

And, despite not having been intentional, the fact is that Sónia Bárbara is Sol e Brumas and Sol e Brumas and Sónia Bárbara, but that name’s origin was different.

Marca Açores (Azores Brand)

Since 2016, the Marca Açores seal has been affixed to each Sol e Brumas® product (crafts from artisans enrolled in the Centre for Design and Crafts of the Azores), as a simple and immediate recognition of the identity value of a regional product, with quality, reliability and of Azorean origin. Easily recognised and with an impact at national and international level, the products bearing the symbol, Marca Açores – Certificado pela Natureza (“Azores Brand – Certified by Nature”) is associated with exceeding expectations and consumer satisfaction and has in view the promotion of the Region, domestically and abroad.

Statute of Artisan and Craft Production Unit

Since 2015, having the Statute of Artisan and Craft Production Unit, a title called the “artisan’s charter”, is the recognition by the Centre for Crafts and Design of the Azores of the artisan’s contribution to regional arts and crafts, in terms of respect for the knowledge and techniques inherent to the activity and refined aesthetic sense and manual skill, as well as for the promotion and enrichment of the sector and revitalisation of the economy and employment at a local level.

Certification of the Collective Brand, Artesanato dos Açores, in the area of hats

In September 2022, Sol e Brumas obtained certification for the “Collective Brand, Artesanato dos Açores, in the area of hats, in accordance with Directive No. 111/2021 of 14th October 2021, which regulates the collective brand certification, Artesanato dos Açores for products traditionally manufactured in the Region.” This distinction adds value/recognition to artisanal work and links it to the cultural heritage of the Azores.