The Halo Series, Vol. 01 — Rui Santos

Some people make you curious. Something in their gaze, their gestures, the way they carry themselves makes you want to know a little more. Rui Santos felt like a good place to begin.

Rui Santos for The Halo Series, Vol. 01. Photography by David Velez.

The Halo Series begins with a curiosity about people: their character, their aura, and the ways they express who they are. Through candid portraits and personal conversations, we explore what a hat brings out in someone—and how they make it their own.

For our first volume, we invited Portuguese actor Rui Santos.

On a warm Saturday afternoon in Seixal, Portugal, Rui and photographer David Velez met with Carla Aciar, our founder. A few hats, good company, and the afternoon sun. David behind the lens, Rui finding his own way with each piece. The photographs caught what we had hoped for: his character coming through, with a little of the afternoon’s magic still in them.

As an actor, Rui spends much of his life stepping into other characters. We were curious about the one he brings with him.

He describes his aura in one word: present. Creating, taking risks and living in the moment are when he feels most alive. A hat adds “a little mystery, a little attitude, and a different side of me.” That possibility of discovering another side of yourself is part of what draws us to hats in the first place.

The story also begins before the photographs. In the accompanying making-of reel, our founder, Carla, speaks on camera about her hatmaking for the first time, sharing the ideas behind the pieces created for Rui.

For her, making a hat for someone starts with observation. How they move, what they wear, the details that catch your eye. Those impressions find their way into the shape and the finishing touches. Then comes the part you can’t quite plan: they put it on, and bring something of themselves to it.

Rui’s own words offer a fitting close. Asked what he hopes people remember after meeting him, he answers: “The feeling that something real just happened.”

Watch Carla share the making of Rui’s hats, and explore Rui’s portraits and full Q&A in our first Halo Series post.