Herbin Co.: Crafting Legacy, One Hat at a Time

“I’d always admired style,” he says. “My grandfather was both a cartographer and a painter, and he carried himself as a true gentleman. Watching him sparked my own creative instincts.”

That inspiration came to life on a trip to Paris. Sitting at a café near Le Marais, Rhedrick watched locals in sailor caps and trilbies glide past with quiet elegance. On a napkin, he sketched his perfect hat—clean lines, a defined brim, subtle personality. He had no business plan, no team—just a desire to create something that fit him. That sketch, made to capture a feeling of home, would eventually spark Herbin Co.

Back in the States, Rhedrick began teaching himself hat-making in his garage. His first steamer was a borrowed garment iron that barely produced enough moisture to shape the felt. He ruined dozens of prototypes before understanding the delicate balance of heat, pressure, and steam. Vintage manuals from the 1800s became his textbooks.

Engineering gave him a problem-solver’s mindset, one he now applies to fashion. “I approach design like process optimization: hypothesis, experiment, iterate,” he explains. That discipline helped him grow from a one-man workshop to a brand with a flagship store at Atlanta’s Phipps Plaza—proof, he says, that “Black-owned luxury belongs in premium retail.”

For Rhedrick, craftsmanship means personal pride in every detail—from the tension of each stitch to the way a brim bends with time. “It’s about building objects that wear into your story, not just your wardrobe,” he says. Every Herbin Co. hat or bag is inspected by at least three artisans before release.

Designs often begin with memory. His Dessert Collection, for example, was inspired by his grandmother’s peach cobbler—its caramel suede and buttery trims a direct nod to her warm, golden kitchen. Other pieces, like the Tomb Ra hat, weave heritage and identity into their very construction: felt in Divine Nine colors, an Eye of Ra engraving under the brim, and a python-textured leather crown wrap stitched in gold.

Herbin Co. is rooted in storytelling and Black cultural expression, with silhouettes and colorways that speak from Rhedrick’s own lens. “We’re here to create fine luxury—I just happen to be a Black founder behind it,” he says.

Family remains central to his vision. His grandfather’s portrait hangs in the store. His father’s influence as a preacher shapes the brand’s values of refinement and precision. Even his most treasured hat—the military green Greenbrier cap—is named after a mall from his Atlanta childhood.

While many of Herbin Co.’s designs are limited runs that appreciate in value, Rhedrick insists exclusivity should never mean exclusion. Accessible pieces, loyalty perks, and educational workshops keep the brand connected to its core community. Mentorship is baked into the mission. Through school visits, hands-on workshops, and donations, Herbin Co. works to preserve hat-making traditions while inspiring the next generation. “It’s not about gatekeeping—it’s about building bridges,” Rhedrick says.

This fall marks the launch of the brand’s Anniversary Collection, alongside new ventures into eyewear and luxury travel accessories. Collaborations are also on the horizon. Looking ahead five years, Rhedrick wants Herbin Co. to be known as “a cultural staple … one of the world’s finest accessory brands … a label that helped people feel bold, seen, and unforgettable.”

In the meantime, he’ll keep breaking his favorite fashion rule—that style is exclusive—designing hats for anyone bold enough to wear them.

Paris gave him elegance. NYC taught him pace. Atlanta gave him soul. In three words, he sums up his personal style: “Tasteful. Subtle. Flex.”