Bailey 1922, an American headwear brand, has partnered with Michael “Mr. Kaves” McLeer, a renowned multidisciplinary artist. Known globally for his progressive street art and style, immersive storytelling, adventurous spirit, and cultural influence, Mr. Kaves describes his love for headwear.
“Coming up in Brooklyn, we didn’t have much, and the fedora style was seen as a ‘Crown’on your head… and if you had one, you were street royalty. When I had my first taste of success, I bought a hat and a cigar, and I felt important, and I felt like I ‘made’ it. Bailey has a long tradition of craftsmanship and handmade quality that very much aligns with my own art all the way back to my beginnings with my graffiti and tattooing, so it was a natural fit. I’m an old romantic fool. I celebrate life every day, when I get out of bed, I’m going to be unique and as sharp as possible, and of course I’m going to throw a hat on to top it all off,” says Mr. Kaves, Founder, Lordz of Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Pop Exhibit
“It was effortless, blending Bailey’s DNA of craftsmanship, artisanal sophistication, and rugged integrity with Kaves’ idea of the modern gentleman-this tough New Yorker with a gentle stature and a nostalgic street style if you will… these hats have been imagined with one eye on the past and full speed ahead towards the future,” says Paula Calvert, Creative Director, Bailey 1922.
The collaboration includes Mr. Kaves’ take on two iconic Bailey shapes. The first hat, Brooklino, is 100% wool, with a Raised Front Teardrop Crown, bound edge brim in Bailey’s Elite Stiffened Finish, and is available in colors Whiskey and Steel retailing for $250.00. The second, Verrazano, features Bailey’s Elite Superfine Velour, a 100% wool hat with a brushed soft hand and a slight sheen perfect for making a statement. It comes in a classic Western Cattleman Crown, in colors Whiskey, and Steel, and retails for $285.00. Both hats incorporate Mr. Kaves’ artwork on the hat bands, custom interior linings, and come with Mr. Kaves’ art embellished Bailey 1922 hat box. The collection will be available exclusively at Baileyhats.com (launching soon) and the Brooklyn Pop Exhibit gift shop.
Mr. Kaves is also set to launch his eagerly awaited new exhibit, Brooklyn Pop. Located in Industry City within Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, the exhibit, created, written, and directed by Mr. Kaves, explores Brooklyn’s profound influence on popular culture. Visitors will journey through a narrative that is at once a play, a movie, and an art installation, with every element meticulously crafted to immerse the audience in the spirit of Brooklyn. Through powerful storytelling and innovative visual displays, participants explore the borough’s role as a cultural epicenter that has shaped music, art, film, and beyond.
“People know Brooklyn’s a cool place, and it has become a brand. I’m going to teach you a little about how it became cool…the blood, the sweat, the tears. To me, Brooklyn rooftops are a religion, and the concrete is a cathedral,” said Kaves.
Brooklyn Pop is open to the public in Building 2 of Industry City at 254 36th St., in Brooklyn, New York, between Second and Third Avenues, open 12pm-6pm, Wednesdays through Sundays.
