Inside the Panama Hat Industry

The woven straw hats commonly known as “Panama” hats actually originate from Ecuador. In July 2009, I spent a week in and around Cuenca, Ecuador which is a hub for the industry and the location of the three main hat finishers/exporters in Ecuador. This is compilation of my photography, reporting and observations about the connections between a product–the hats–and the people who produce them. This piece was originally published on the international news Web site, Global Post.