MASTER
HATTER, MAKER MARK MEJIA:
BARON HAT'S “NEW” GENERATION
 Baron
Hat’s Owner and Master Hollywood Hat Maker, Mark
Mejia, was born and raised in one of the oldest
neighborhoods in the Southeast section of Los
Angeles, California.
Perhaps the most treasured memory from his childhood
was traveling on the bus with his grandmother to
downtown LA and being captivated by movie crews who
had transformed the streets into something right out
of the 1930’s. He loved the vintage cars and period
costumes, but was absolutely transfixed by the
marvelous fedoras and other 30’s era hats.
This
was the beginning of a life-long love affair with
hats… and Hollywood. As the years went by, Mark grew
up seeing all kinds of fantastic Hollywood
productions, both from TV and Motion Pictures shot
in and around Los Angeles. Watching the actors in
their often stylized hats, Mark soon gained a keen
appreciation for the direct connection between an
actor’s characterization and wearing just the right
hat. Even more so, sometimes a remarkable hat could
become a character unto itself.
While
in his early 20’s, a chance meeting with an old
friend sent Mark to the enchanting town of
Montecristi, Ecuador, to look into the amazing art
of Panama hats, which were only made in the region
from indigenous palms. Mark was spellbound by the
weave of these ha ts, a weave that felt like silk and
linen, yet were woven by hand from the local palm
leaves. These were hats that also lasted for
generations without losing shape or color! He spent
almost a year learning the craft himself working
with the local craftsmen, and in the process created
his own Panama Hat Company, “DeMarco Montecristi”,
which imported these rare and incredible hats, many
of which took months to make, to the United States.
In the process, he also fell in love with the idea
of making his own hats. It was then and there in the
enchanting hills of Montecristi, that Mark made up
his mind to move back to Hollywood, and fulfill his
life-long dream… of becoming “Hollywood’s Hat Maker®”.
Once in Hollywood, Mark realized that if he really
wanted to know the craft of making the best
hand-made hats in the world, and learning the trade
of "Master Hatter", he had to learn from the
absolute very best in the business. That was an easy
choice. For in Hollywood, for almost half a century,
there was really only one name synonymous with
Master Hat Making and Hollywood. That was Eddie
Baron.
 Mustering all his courage, Mark went to
see Eddie at his shop in Burbank, and asked if he
could work for him, and possibly become an
apprentice. Mark’s timing turned out to be
fortuitous. Eddie, known for his extreme
independence, was at a point in his life that he
felt was time to pass along his almost fifty years
of hat making experience. Seeing something special
in Mark, Eddie agreed, and for several years, Mark
worked at Eddie’s side, day and night among the
billowing steam, learning everything he could about
the craft of hat making -- in the very studio where
so many of Hollywood’s most famous hats were
crafted.
Mark especially loved working with the “blocks”…
those specially crafted wood “busts” of the heads
some of the most famous actors in the world, who
would have their hats made no place else but at
Baron Hats, both for their films, and for their
personal wear. The Baron studios had one of the
largest collections of these celebrity blocks in the
world, and Mark loved to go into the back room and
inspect them for hours, marveling at their
workmanship and history!
After working with Eddie for a few years, Mark felt
it was time to set out on his own and asked Eddie if
he’d be interested in selling any of his blocks.
To Mark’s amazement, Eddie offered not only to sell
him some blocks, but the entire store!
Satisfied that Mark was totally committed to the
craft, and truly had the “heart” and skill of a
master Hatter, Eddie made a deal to let Mark
purchase both the studio and all its goods
(including those priceless celebrity blocks), along
with the legendary name of Baron Hats. Eddie’s were
indeed huge shoes to fill, but Mark was up to the
task having acquired the skills and the passion from
the master himself.
Since Mark bought the business, the legend
continues. A new generation of filmmakers have
discovered Baron Hats, and hundreds of movies, TV
series, commercial, and some of the biggest Music
Video productions seek his unique craftsmanship.
People come from all over the world, from the most
famous celebrities, to "just plain folk" who want
only the best to put on their heads.
Without the fervor that Mark has dedicated to
cultivating his craft, the legend and hat making
secrets of Eddie Baron may have been lost forever.
Mark realizes that he has a awesome responsibility
to keep the legend alive. But for all those who have
worked with him, and seen the product of his studio…
they know that Eddie no doubt made the right
choice!
|
