Córdoba is known for many things: being
home to the Mezquita, a mosque second in
size to only Mecca which dates to the 10th
century and has a cathedral inside it; the
Jewish quarter, which houses one of only
three surviving pre-Conquest synagogues in
Spain; the Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos,
a palace built among the ruins of a 14th
century Moorish fortress; a 16th century arched
Roman bridge, among others. And then there is
J. Rusi, a sombrereria de heredos (family-owned
hat maker) that has been making custom hats
since 1903.
Walking into the small, white-plastered storefront of J. Rusi, located in the old quarter of town, we see Mario Roldan to our right, sitting behind his workbench in his office forming the brim of a hat for an older gentleman who waits patiently for the change. Mario is the only person working the store; and, though he acknowledges our presence with ‘buenos dias’ (good morning), he is solely focused on meeting this individual’s request. After forming the brim, Mario walks out and presents the hat to the customer who places it upon his head, examines his look in the mirror, and asks the opinion of his friends who have accompanied him to the shop. Just a slight change, if you please, asks the customer. Mario heads back into his workspace for another few minutes before returning to present the customer with a slightly modified bend to the brim. Again, placing it upon his head and asking his friends for their opinion, who all shake their heads in approval, the customer exclaims ‘perfecto!’ (perfect). Only then, did Mario then turn his attention to us, asking what he might do for us.
Opposite:
Authentic Cordovan hat, made of 100% hare fur felt, by hand and tailored with a conformator.
Above:
Mario Roldan
4th Generation
Proprietor
87