Wearing that Yankees or Red Sox hat makes you about as standout stylish as wearing an orange t-shirt from Marshall Street to a basketball game. But 21-year-old senior illustration major Chris Giorgio is transforming team pride into a signature fashion statement that gives sports lovers statement-status toppers, and his designs have attracted one high-profile hitter in the process.
Giorgio started drawing at the age of three and carried this artistic passion with him to S.U. “Everyone always says ‘oh you’re an illustration major. So what, like books?’” says Giorgio. But contrary to common assumptions, Giorgio plans to use his illustration education at S.U. in a future career in fashion.
When he was a sophomore, a friend suggested Giorgio use his drawing talent to customize hats. The friend knew a girl who used her artistic talents to create one-of-a-kind headbands and bracelets. Giorgio acted on the suggestion and bought a white hat from Lids and some Sharpie markers. He illustrated his first Boston Red Sox themed hat in honor of his favorite baseball team. Just last week, Giorgio completed the third hat in a series that he sold to David Ortiz, the home-run record holding hitter for the Sox.
When he was a sophomore, a friend suggested Giorgio use his drawing talent to customize hats. The friend knew a girl who used her artistic talents to create one-of-a-kind headbands and bracelets. Giorgio acted on the suggestion and bought a white hat from Lids and some Sharpie markers. He illustrated his first Boston Red Sox themed hat in honor of his favorite baseball team. Just last week, Giorgio completed the third hat in a series that he sold to David Ortiz, the home-run record holding hitter for the Sox.
Giorgio estimates he’s produced about 30 hats (all one-of-a-kind), and he has five orders to create by Christmas, which, with finals coming up, won’t be an easy feat. Each wearable masterpiece starts with a plain white hat from Lids, a box of Sharpies, and a computer file of images and information about various sports teams’ histories, players, and logos that Giorgio keeps on his laptop. Each hat takes about 15 hours and costs $150.
Giorgio is still searching for a brand name for his designs and says HeyZeus remains a contender. “I just didn’t want to call it ‘Chris Giorgio,’” he says. “I don’t know why, but I just don’t think it’s cool. Everyone’s always like, ‘that’s such a designer name!’ but there’s already Giorgio Armani.” Even so, Giorgio’s new website still stands as chrisgiorgio.com, but it too remains in the beginning stages.
In the future, Giorgio says he wants to find a way to mass-produce his designs, but the detail and the personality of his hats might make that an impossibility. He also wants to expand beyond hats. Over the summer, Giorgio hand painted several Marie Antoinette themed leather handbags for a store on Newbury Street in Boston. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate, but I would definitely do something like that,” says Giorgio. “Anything in the fashion world.”
Giorgio is still searching for a brand name for his designs and says HeyZeus remains a contender. “I just didn’t want to call it ‘Chris Giorgio,’” he says. “I don’t know why, but I just don’t think it’s cool. Everyone’s always like, ‘that’s such a designer name!’ but there’s already Giorgio Armani.” Even so, Giorgio’s new website still stands as chrisgiorgio.com, but it too remains in the beginning stages.
In the future, Giorgio says he wants to find a way to mass-produce his designs, but the detail and the personality of his hats might make that an impossibility. He also wants to expand beyond hats. Over the summer, Giorgio hand painted several Marie Antoinette themed leather handbags for a store on Newbury Street in Boston. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate, but I would definitely do something like that,” says Giorgio. “Anything in the fashion world.”
