‘lupe California
‘lupe California is a project very near and dear to my heart. I started making my trucker hats in 2023, but the origins of the project are much older than that. The style of embroidery goes by many names: Bargello, Hungarian Needlepoint, or Florentine work. It’s earliest recorded date of emergence was 14th century Hungary, and was popularized in Florence in the 15th century. Bargello had it’s major revival in the 1960s-70s, and thats when my Granny would have picked it up. A technique once favored for its economic use of material, became the trendy psychedelic patterns we saw covering pillows, furniture, and clothing many years later. My Granny taught me how to do this needlepoint when I was little, and one summer many years later I dreamed up the contemporary use of bargello patches on hats. Every single one I personally stitched by hand with silk + merino thread, using many original 60s and 70s designs and many improvised patterns from my imagination. I sold custom orders online, popped up at markets, and sold in boutique stores around Los Angeles. Each patch can take 2-3 hours, and I have made well over 100.
