Meet 215shooter, a Member of Lids’ Fitted Class

What are you known for in the fitted hat community? Content creation. I'm more so one of the people that have shaped the way content is perceived and consumed in this community, being a photographer and creator coming into this space.

How did you get into fitted hats? I was always into art, styling, and fashion, and trying to give the world a view of myself. Finding a way to relay that message to them without having to say anything physically. And for me, that looked like by the way of art. Art quickly turned into photography. That kind of just led into me starting to appreciate the fashion world and how someone's outfit can speak about them again without having to say anything.

And that led into Lids eventually being the top store in my community, aside from the mom-and-pop shops. And that led into my first Phillies hat, which was the classic all-red with the white P logo. From there, I started loving and enjoying hats.

What makes a great fitted hat? The story attached to it is 50 percent, and then how good it looks is 50 percent. There are hats where you remove the story, and it's an OK hat.

What’s the most valuable hat you have? If I have a favorite hat, it would be a classic, all-red Phillies with the white P, green under the visor, because that’s what started me on this journey of loving hats the way I do now. As far as my own personal designs, I designed a Milwaukee Brewers hat that was inspired by OG Transformers. It was Megatron-inspired.

That is my favorite hat because that was the first time I was given an opportunity to bring an idea I had into the world and then have people tap into it and resonate with it, and was embraced by the community to have it sell out.

Why are fitted hats important to fashion and personal style? You see people dressed down in urban streetwear and a fitted hat, casual wear fitted hat. It's something that is personal to people.

How have fitteds played a role in hip-hop culture? They've been around for as long as I can remember. It's been a staple in New York. It's been a staple in the hip-hop community. It’s been a staple in Black culture and other cultures, and it's something I feel like it's timeless.