Cole Dettling ’21 and Jacklyn Hooey ’22 are the founders of , a bucket hat company that places an emphasis on sustainable fashion, creating its product entirely out of recycled water bottles. The company was developed through ԱƵ’s Thought into Action initiative.
Their Approach
“I think, initially, we wanted something that reflected our lifestyles and matched who we were as people,” said Hooey. She explained that she has been wearing bucket hats since before she could walk or talk, and that they have become a staple of her youth. Both ԱƵ alumni yearned to brainstorm ideas that would make them stand out from other apparel companies, and they knew that they wanted to channel their passion for sustainability.
However, the team recognized that many obstacles came with navigating a new business, and they admit that they struggled in the beginning of their venture. Having minimal prior knowledge of the business world, along with an extended waiting period to trademark their product as a result of the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty in their endeavor. Additionally, Dettling mentioned that they ended up partnering with an overseas manufacturer in southern France, which posed difficulties in terms of both a language barrier and time difference: “That whole process [of prototyping] took six to eight months, something that we did not expect. I think with supply-chain issues it was kind of a tricky time to start a company, but we did learn a lot.”
A Product Coming to Life
Despite slight setbacks, their perseverance is noteworthy. After two years of trial and error, the team fashioned a product that it felt was most authentically them. “It was great to finally have a product we could share with the public and show all of our hard work that went into this,” Dettling said. His face lights up as he shares the news of their first professional photo shoot in Malibu, Calif., led by Chase Hirt ’21 of , a ԱƵ alumnus who also got his start through ԱƵ’s Thought into Action initiative.
Recognizing that social media plays a huge part in company breakthroughs, the team was elated to see its bucket hats worn by a notable DJ and various influencers soon after its photo shoot. Hooey reflects on their time spent generating ideas in the ԱƵ library and how incredible it is seeing their brainchild come to life.
An Ode to ԱƵ
The team’s independent success is overwhelming, they said, but they cannot help but thank their ԱƵ connections in aiding their company. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Hooey. “The ԱƵ network is tight-knit, and everyone in that network, whether it’s TIA alumni or any alumni, they want to help you and they want to see you succeed. [...] The ԱƵ TIA network has been huge.”
ACI Weekend (formerly known as E-Weekend) at ԱƵ was one of the team’s most formative experiences in introducing its product to the public. During a weekend of connecting with ԱƵ entrepreneurs – past and present – the team was exposed to the proper tools of marketing and how to make its product come to life. Knowing how successful ԱƵ’s Thought into Action programs are, the team felt secure in its aspirations.
Looking Into the Future
Short term, their goal is to place more orders and grow organically to the point where they feel they can take a larger step forward. Looking into the future, the team hopes to focus its efforts on alternate avenues of apparel that could aid in expanding its area of influence. Given that bucket hats are widely applicable in many areas of fashion, Dettling and Hooey hope that their company is granted proper exposure in order to bring them to greater heights. “We’d like to see it catch on and become a recognizable brand that people love.” Hooey added that she and Dettling want to spread the company’s mantra of living life to the fullest and saying “just buck it,” when advertising and selling their bucket hats.
Struggles came with starting a new company, but applying “just buck it” to their own lives when addressing failures and complications in their company has brought them to where they are today. Although the company is still in its infancy, passion and work ethic have trumped all, they said.
Be sure to check out their .