The Stefeno Story
The Legend
Tucked away in an enclave, deep within the heart of the Apennine Mountains, lived a simple artisan with a not-so-simple vision. This man’s name has been lost to history, but his story has been told and retold by generations of Italians and Western Europeans alike. All we know comes from the charred remains of what survived the burning of the Library of Alexandria, a catastrophe that leaves many historians arguing over Julius Caesar’s intentions. Some say this was strictly a military tactic, and that the destruction of 40,000+ scrolls of ancient knowledge was an unintended consequence. However, after Caesar’s death, a more sinister motive came to light.
Tucked away in that enclave, with the Apennine Mountains as his backdrop, lived that nameless Italian artisan who was developing and cultivating a craft unlike any other. In those documents on the shelves of the Library of Alexandria was a formula for the first ever fashionable headware; headware that when produced would set the ancient world by storm.
In 52 BC at the First Triumvirate's end, the Roman Senate made it clear they did not support Julius Caesar in his endeavor to be the sole Consul of Rome. It has been said that they had discovered the secrets of hat making and were poised to sell the information to the highest bidder. Caesar, not wanting this information to get in the hands of his enemies and angry at the Roman Senate for their crimes against fashion, did the unthinkable: He destroyed the Library of Alexandria and the millinery secrets it held within. Or so he thought…
For almost 2000 years this was just an obscure footnote in the annuls of history, destined to stay forgotten. That is, until Stefeno Hats began producing hats over 40 years ago. What if there were copies of those instructions stored away in another ancient library? What if Steve and Lois Goldberg got their hands on this copy and unlocked its secrets for the world to enjoy? Or what if none of this is true and Stefeno Hats just happened to make luxury headware because of their passion for headware and drive for attention to quality and detail?
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Regardless of what you believe, it’s a fun question to ask: What if?
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