Founder of Foremost. Hatter for forty years.
Jeffrey
In hats since 1988.
Founded Foremost in 1996 · Nantong, China
The standards he set at the bench now scale across our own factories and US warehouse, turning out wholesale and custom headwear for brands and distributors.
Forty Years, One Category
Born January 1967. Graduated from college in 1988 and apprenticed to a master hatter in Nantong, eight years learning to cut, block, and stitch.
Between client trips, he began collecting: Italy, France, Panama, Japan. First a few hats, eventually hundreds.
“Hat is the first fashion category,” he would say. Two decades later, that line became the founding thought of HATTERS HUB on Huaihai Road, Shanghai, a multi-brand integration platform introducing premium heritage hatmakers from Italy, the UK, Ecuador, and beyond to the Chinese market.
In 1996, Foremost was founded.
From The Bench, Outward
Personal craftsmanship, extended into a reliable, structured system.
01 / Maker
Founder of Foremost
From a single master's bench to a structured production ecosystem across the world, now run by an independent, professional management team. His original bench standards, scaled to deliver consistent quality for international brands.
FOREMOST GROUP • SINCE 1996Read Our History
02 / Collector
Founder of the Museum
A private passion turned cultural archive. Housing a lifetime collection from classic Panamas to rare historic silhouettes, the museum preserves the heritage of hatmaking to inspire the next generation of designers.
HATS MUSEUMVisit Our Museum
03 / Convener
Initiator of the Festival
A dedicated gathering for the hatmaking community, bringing together designers, suppliers, and makers to celebrate and share the craft.
920 Hat FestivalCheck The Hat FestivalThe Scale Behind The Bench
One Category, Fully Committed
In any niche, if one person or one company commits fully, perfecting their product, service, or culture for 10, 20, even 30 years, they will reshape the world.
— Jeffrey, Founder of Foremost
Still at Work
Today
- Returning to the workshop weekly, keeping the brand anchored in genuine craft.
- Overseeing key product reviews to ensure the physical products live up to his uncompromising standards.
- Serving as President of the National Hat Committee, helping guide the industry's development.
