At 12 years old, Rafi Friedman is about to become a man.
Next month, he will hold his bar mitzvah ceremony, a rite of passage in the Jewish faith. In the Orthodox Jewish community, this coming-of-age ritual often coincides with another milestone: their very first hat.
Rafi couldn’t be happier with his black fedora, designed at Bellissimo Custom Hats in Crown Heights.
“We call it the Bellissimo family. That’s exactly what it is," said Yossi Chayo, who founded Bellissimo with his brother Levi back in 2017.
They cater to every demographic in their beloved borough: from young boys in Yeshiva to seasoned rabbis to, really, anyone who wants a hat.
The brothers work day and night to keep business booming, and it’s getting noticed beyond Brooklyn.
“We started making other styles and posting about it on social media, and we started getting a little bit of a following," said Levi. "And then we got Jamie Foxx."
Yossi and Levi were inspired to start their own business from a young age.
“That’s one thing we were scarred by as kids. Going to the hat store at 13 years old," Yossi said. "The old man threw one hat on your head and told you that’s the one for you.”
The Orthodox Jewish community is built on longstanding traditions, including the traditional black hat.
“Everyone here in the Jewish community is set on one brand," Yossi said. "They’ve been set that way for 30 years. If it’s not that brand, they can’t get it.”
But the brothers are breaking the status quo, showing their neighbors that Jewish expression is not one-size-fits-all.
“Changing the ways of the Jewish community after 50 years is definitely going to be difficult," Yossi said. "So at first, they were very skeptical, but we kind of proved our brand and our quality, and they’ve been happy to support one of their own.”
That support is the foundation of Bellissimo, which the brothers view as a crossroads for Crown Heights, where every member of the community is represented.
“We’re bringing people together, whether you’re Jewish or you’re Black or you’re Hispanic," Yossi said. "You come here and have a good time and try on all the different-colored hats.”