Justin Bieber has made some questionable choices lately, but the pop star got it right when he decided to give a little sartorial shoutout to the Windy City.
Bieber was spotted wearing a black satin hat recently with the word “treated” emblazoned across its brim in white lettering. It turns out the hat is only available at one place--and that place happens to be in Chicago.
The store is called Jugrnaut, and brothers Manny and Roger Rodriguez started it in 2007. Manny Rodriguez describes it as a place to get “stuff you can’t really find at a place like Macy’s.”
He said the store is often regarded as a “street wear” destination, but he described it as a place that caters to a niche market, stocked with items that rappers and athletes favor. The store carries limited quantities--generally one or two sizes in each item.
This particular hat Bieber wore is called the “treated crown,” and it was designed in collaboration with Mano, a DJ and producer who works with Kanye West. The hat launched Nov. 15, and it is popular with many celebrities, including Kanye and Jay-Z. Jugrnaut made 432 hats in this design, which is an exceptionally high quantity for the store.
Rodriguez explained that because it was a collaboration with Mano, this hat’s creation was “bigger.”
Bieber saw the hat (possibly on another celebrity) and loved it, so his team reached out to the store. Rodriguez said he mailed the hat to Bieber himself Jan. 15.
Jugrnaut is at 427 S. Dearborn or online at www.jugrnaut.com.
@redeyechicago
