Casa de Rodriguez
Custom Hats In Soho

In a third floor apartment at 150 Spring Street in New York's trendy SoHo district is where you'll find Casa de Rodriguez, home, showroom and retail space for FIDM grads Jody and David Rodriguez.

Casa de Rodriguez is a retail/wholesale/manufacturing business specializing in both men's and women's hats and accessories. The unique and creative business has received press around the world.

David, who has degrees in Fashion Design and Apparel Manufacturing Management, and Jody,whose degree is in Visual Communications, first discovered the hat market while working on a young men's sportswear line. With the left over scraps of fabric, they would create fun and unusual hats. The hats were an instant hit with Los Angeles' trendy hip-hop and skateboard crowds.

With the sudden popularity of their hat business, Jody and David moved to New York and opened a showroom. They settled in SoHo where their business has been growing steadily.

Most hats are custom-made for individual clients and many can be completed in an hour. Accessories such as handbags can also be made to match their hats. Today the hip-hop and skateboard scene still represents a large part of their business however, their market has expanded considerably. They now cater to a variety of customers and their line is featured in upscale stores like Henri Bendel in New York and Chicago.
photo by Jason Schmitz

What makes Casa de Rodriguez so unique is the custom creations of Jody and David. While most of their hats are traditional shapes [pillbox, fez, beehive, jockey cap and musketeer], their fabrics range from rubberized burlap to chenille, vinylized tablecloths to corduroy.

While their business is primarily hats and accessories, Jody and David hope to expand Casa de Rodriguez into a full department store in SoHo. The store will include all their unique creations including full fashion lines, linens, reupholstered second-hand furniture, home furnishings, and, of course, hats.

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication