Did you learn from a master?
Yes, Joži Košak, an older lady who worked at a local straw making manufacturer for 38 years, taught me. The Univerzale company was world-renowned for their straw hats. It took me 20 hours to make my very first straw hat. Today, I make the same one in 15 minutes.
What attracted you to this craft?
I started because I wanted to show the visitors of the museum how a straw hat is made. It was very difficult at the beginning, but I was stubborn enough and, once I mastered the technique, journalists came and more and more people wanted to buy my products.
©Andraž Gregorič
What do people not normally know about your craft?
I import wheat straw plaits from the Chinese province of Henan, which is the only producer of appropriate wheat plaits. In Slovenia, you can't find it anymore due to changed weather conditions. I have my own field of spelt as well, but it takes an hour to weave up to three metres of plaits.
Could your craft be considered in danger?
Yes, definitely, mostly because we lack patience, it takes a long time to learn. And secondly, I make straw hats on an old sewing machine, produced in Europe only by two companies between 1880 and 1910.