Serin Kucuk is a designer-maker and founder of Routes Headwear. We spoke with Serin about Routes x National Theatre's recent collaboration
How did you first come to making hats? Can you tell us a bit about your creative background?
I’ve always been a maker at heart. As a Sound Technician in the Film and TV industry, I’ve always used my time between projects to teach myself new skills and explore different crafts. After spending a period focused on woodworking, I turned my attention towards textiles, inspired by the incredible costumes and craftwork I’ve had the pleasure of encountering through my work on screen.
What started as making garments for myself and my partner quickly became an exploration into how I could design and make the nicest possible versions of the things I wanted to wear. I became fascinated by beautiful, unusual fabrics and the challenge of creating pieces that celebrate the personality and individuality of the wearer. From there, my exploration naturally led into hat making.
What excited you about the project and working with the National Theatre Bookshop?
Working with fabrics that carry their own history and meaning is incredibly exciting. I love using specialist materials with a story behind them, and the opportunity to collaborate with the National Theatre Bookshop was one I couldn’t miss.
I was particularly thrilled to discover that many of the fabrics from The Playboy of the Western World were sourced from heritage British mills. I believe that when care and attention are given to every aspect of an object - from the materials chosen to the way it is made - it creates a richness that can be felt in the final product. That sense of craftsmanship and detail was present throughout this project.
In a world that becomes ever automated, what do you think is so important about the handmade and the tangible connections it makes between customer and maker?
This is such a big question… Heritage craft is one of those elements of our inherited culture that anchors, grounds and ties us together - not only as individuals, but also as members of a shared and distinctive society. But this is constantly under threat from modern pressures. Much of what we now consume is designed under the pressure of economic efficiency - to produce and sell as much as possible, as efficiently as possible - and therefore tends to cater to commonality and averages rather than individuality. We usually refer to this as Mass Production, but its counterpart is Mass Consumption. The two are inseparable, and together they homogenise our experience of the world. We increasingly encounter this same category of products, the same aesthetics and the same experiences wherever we go.
Whilst there is an obvious value in the affordability and accessibility that this can provide, this comes at the cost of cultural richness, individuality and, perhaps most importantly, a sense that our experiences are genuinely our own. I feel this makes preserving the way we value and support unique art and design more important than ever. What I think is special about handcrafted objects is that they have a discernible life of their own, born of the time and place in which they were made. The choice of materials, the decisions of the maker, the techniques and even the irregularities of the process become part of the object itself. And once a completed piece enters a customer’s life, they become part of that story too.
By consciously appreciating that history and being more selective about what we bring into our lives, both maker and customer become participants in giving these objects a more authentic life and meaning. In doing so, we also play a small part in keeping our culture alive - one that can continue to be vibrant, diverse and full of colour.
What’s the most inspiring book/play you’ve read recently?
Recently I’ve been getting into Granta - it’s a great periodical that features a wide range of voices, and I feel like it’s actively been widening my perspective on the world.
In terms of a book that’s really inspired me, I recently re-read Ubik by Philip K. Dick. The degradation of reality that the protagonist faces is only combatted by the titular antidote, which often takes the form of unique and beautiful objects. The book is a bit of a fever dream, where one can only keep a grasp on reality through these strange artefacts. I think the ‘artefact’ concept has always had me hooked. I’m sure you can join the dots..!
As far as plays go.. I haven’t read one in a long time, but I was fortunate enough to see Dear Evan Hansen at the Minack Theatre this summer, which was a fantastic experience, for numerous reasons.
If you could add one thing to cart from the bookshop what would it be and why?
One of the many books on Playwriting. My partner and many of our friends are actors, and we are in the early stages of developing a grassroots comedy. The NT Bookshop is such a rich resource for creatives with a mission!
What’s next for Routes Headwear?
There’s a lot I’m excited to figure out as Routes develops. Currently, it’s fuelled mainly by my passion, and I’m working out how to take it forward in a way that makes sense economically while keeping the hats both made in London, and staying true to the philosophy of the brand.
I’d love to find a way to free myself up to work more on the business while keeping production local. I’d also like to seek out further collaborations, and I’m really looking forward to the next batch for the National Theatre Bookshop.
Follow Routes on Instagram to keep updated of Serin's journey.
Serin Kucuk is a Designer-Maker and Sound Recordist whose creative practice has grown alongside a career in Film and Television Sound. Having trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), he spends his time between productions learning new skills and exploring different crafts, from woodworking to textiles.
Serin founded Routes, a brand inspired by the extraordinary costumes encountered through his work in Television. Through Routes, he explores the creation of distinctive pieces in a world where most products are designed around average specifications rather than for the bolder
individual.
The hats Serin has made in collaboration with the National Theatre Bookshop feature materials from The Playboy of the Western World, a National Theatre production which sourced many of its fabrics from British heritage mills.
Each piece is designed and handmade in London, bringing together carefully sourced fabrics and his personal approach to design, with an emphasis on character, quality and individuality.
