ARTS FEATURE HATS FOR HOME
A Charlotte Dreamer connects with his heritage through new venture
Pg. 6 - FEB 9 - 22 2022
BY KARIE SIMMONS
The American Dream at its most idealistic is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or their socioeconomic class, can attain success through hard work and determination in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. It may not always be attainable for marginalized groups in our country, but it’s a notion that’s inspired generations of people to come here and try; that includes the parents of Charlotte Dreamer Jorge Gonzalez. With aspirations for a better future for their family, Gonzalez’s parents brought him to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico, illegally in 1999. He was 11 years old when he left his hometown and hasn’t been back since — but not by choice. As a recipient of President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Gonzalez was granted the temporary right to legally live, study and work in America as someone who entered the country illegally as a child. However, if Gonzalez were to return to Guanajuato to visit, he wouldn’t be able to return to the U.S. As a Dreamer — a nickname for DACA recipients that came from the heretofore failed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, for which DACA was the resulting compromise — Gonzalez can travel outside the country for work, school or humanitarian reasons, but not for leisure. Now living in Charlotte, Gonzalez told Queen City Nerve that, ever since he left Guanajuato, he has been searching for a way to bridge the distance and feel more connected to his family and Mexican culture. His latest business venture, Bonitos Hats, is his way of doing just that. In April 2021, Gonzalez learned his cousin, Monse, who lives in Mexico, was struggling to earn sustainable income through her practice making hand-painted jute and canvas hats — a family tradition dating back 40 to 50 years. Eager to help, Gonzalez suggested they partner to sell the hats in the U.S. “I hadn’t seen them around, painted hats; they’re everywhere in Mexico for sure, but I had
never seen them here in the states, so I was like, why not? Let’s see what happens,” he said. Gonzalez and his husband, Trey Klingensmith, officially launched Bonitos Hats in June 2021 with their first pop-up at NoDa Brewing. They admit they weren’t sure how the hand-painted hats, so popular in Latin culture, would be received in Charlotte. But the feedback they received at that first event put them at ease. “We sold five and I was ecstatic,” Gonzalez said. “At that point I was like, at least someone likes it.” For him, Bonitos Hats has become a way to share a piece of his own cultural background while connecting to the hometown he strives to see again someday. “It does bring a lot of memories and some sort of sentimental value to it to know that part of my culture and part of the work that I’m doing that’s also representing my culture is out there,” he said. “These hats are part of my culture and when I see them out there it brings joy to my heart.”
Tapping into a hidden talent
A Bonitos hat’s journey begins in Mexico, where Monse makes them from canvas or jute — a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. The company also offers vegan leather and vegan suede hats, which they outsource. Most hats arrive in Charlotte completely blank, but some come partially painted by Monse — allowing Gonzalez and Klingensmith to add any necessary finishing touches or embellishments. At first, Klingensmith would just do the crafting styles on the vegan suede and leather hats while Gonzalez did only painting, but as word spread and volume increased, they both began taking on all roles. Though the couple has always been creative — Gonzalez’s background is in advertising and graphic design while Klingensmith works in interior design — Bonitos Hats has helped spur entirely new aspects of their artistic abilities. For one, Gonzalez discovered his talent for painting. He said it’s now an outlet of expression for him and a way to decompress from his full-time job at Duke Energy.
TREY KLINGENSMITH (LEFT) AND JORGE GONZALEZ AT A BONITOS POP-UP. COURTESY OF JORGE GONZALEZ
It can take him four to five days to complete one hand-painted hat, as each stage of the design can only progress after it dries. On darker colored hats, Gonzalez paints the design first in white, waits for it to dry, then adds colors on top so they pop against the background. “And depending on how many colors we choose for a hat, that’s so many different layers and each layer has to dry to move on to the next,” Klingensmith added. Vegan suede and vegan leather hats require special paints and can be sealed with a water repellent spray to protect them. Hand-painted jute and canvas hats are sealed with a clear acrylic
polyurethane cover so they don’t fade or smear. That last step makes them water-resistant and UV rayprotected. “You can literally dump them in the ocean. They can get salt water on them. They won’t smear or fade,” Klingensmith said, the salesman jumping out of him. Bonitos Hats, which translates to “beautiful hats,” offers dozens of unique designs from traditional Mexican patterns to butterflies, flowers, birds, cacti, feathers, snakes and even custom designs. Though some are more popular than others, no two hats are exactly alike. “Because they’re handmade and hand-painted,
