About
Our Story
Selke was born from a simple belief: that the things we wear every day should be made to last, made with care, and made right here in New Zealand.
We craft heritage headwear — cheesecutters, caps, and hats — from the finest natural materials our country has to offer. Full-grain bovine leather sourced locally. Merino lambskin and wool grown on New Zealand farms. Every piece shaped by hand, stitch by stitch, in our New Zealand workshop.
Crafted by Hand, Built to Last
There are no shortcuts in our workshop. Each Selke hat is handcrafted by skilled makers who take pride in every cut, every seam, and every finish. We use full-grain leather — the strongest, most natural layer of the hide — because we believe a hat should age beautifully alongside the person wearing it.
Our Merino wool and lambskin pieces carry the warmth and softness that only genuine New Zealand fibre can deliver. These are materials with a story, and we honour that story in everything we make.
New Zealand Made
Selke is proudly New Zealand made. Manufacturing locally means we can stand behind every hat we sell — we know who made it, how it was made, and what went into it. It means shorter supply chains, stronger communities, and a product you can trust.
When you buy a Selke hat, you're supporting New Zealand craftsmanship and keeping traditional hat-making skills alive in this country.
Crafting a Culture of Sustainability
Sustainability isn't a marketing word for us — it's a design principle. We choose natural, durable materials over synthetic alternatives because they perform better and leave a lighter footprint. A hat that lasts a decade doesn't end up in landfill after a season.
We source leather and wool as close to home as possible, reducing the environmental cost of transport and supporting local farmers and suppliers who share our values. We're always looking for ways to do better — in our materials, our processes, and our packaging.
Wear Something That Means Something
A Selke hat isn't just an accessory. It's a piece of New Zealand craft you can wear every day, in every season, for years to come. It gets better with age, tells your story, and carries ours.
We're grateful you're here. Have a look at what we make.
CRAFTING A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY
Established in 1973 the Selke Family established Selke Enterprises in Ashburton, manufacturing a range of traditionally-styled leather and fabric outdoor hats. Justin Selke retired in August, 2006 and we took over the company. We have extended Selke’s range to include stylish dress hats, as well as a selection of classy and hardwearing handcrafted cotton oilskin hats, vests, jackets, coats, woollen bush shirts, merino sweatshirts, belts, bags, gloves and earthing slippers to keep you grounded.
Continuing the craft – A family tradition
My Mother (Isobel Kemp) was a Milliner for Hats by Margaret in Nelson (an upmarket hats and accessories boutique). She made hats by day, modelling them (along with matching gloves and bags), in the evening at their monthly fashion shows. In those days the premises were on the 1st floor in Lower Trafalgar Street, Nelson.
My wife’s parents (Theo and Judy Cartwright) were also milliners and operated initially in Takapuna North Shore, Auckland. They purchased Valeries Millinery, Takapuna in 1952. In 1953 they sold the Takapuna Shop and started a Millinery Shop at 23 Pollen Street, Thames. In 1956 they moved to 562 Pollen Street and added clothing, bags, gloves and accessories to their range. They named their Boutique Shop ‘562’.
Crafting A Culture Of Sustainability
We’re constantly innovating, updating and improving styles, and we can do this in our own distinctive way. Rather than imitate or follow others, we use our own unique approach. Input from our customers though is always appreciated and is always taken very seriously.
We don’t have much time for the modern culture of disposability, and will repair your purchase if need be and rejuvenate whenever possible. We make every effort to produce a fault-free product, but if an error has occurred somewhere along the way, tell us about the problem and we’ll make it right.
We select and buy the best of raw materials to ensure that what we produce is worthy of carrying our trusted name and the “Buy New Zealand Made” stamp. All our hats are produced using natural materials with your comfort in mind.
Our country is a beautiful but sometimes harsh environment. That environment demands respect, and our way of providing that is to make products that are unique. We use only New Zealand leathers, tanned locally by natural processes.
What Sets Us Apart?
Quality
Product Development
Made in New Zealand
Service & Support
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