EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Aghaa’ Hat Co., a well-known hat shop located in Central El Paso, is closing up shop after 3 1/2 years in business as the owner, Cynthia Gutierrez-Krapp, looks to focus on her cancer treatment.
Dozens of El Pasoans turned out Saturday, Dec. 28 in support at the shop, in what Gutierrez-Krapp said was a celebration rather than an emotional goodbye.
“So the plan is to reopen October of next year, granted, if my health is better — if I’m cancer-free and I’m just in time again for celebrating the holidays and workshops,’” Gutierrez-Krapp said.
Gutierrez-Krapp has become well-known in El Paso over the past eight years for her work crafting custom-handmade hats, as well as repairing and restoring old hats.
Gutierrez-Krapp began her work from her home-based studio and eventually opened Aghaa’ Hat Co. in 2021, as her second brick-and-mortar studio.
Her shop became a hub for other local artists to showcase their work, and where she was also able to launch her dream of offering classes and workshops on hat-making, beadwork, embroidery, weaving, knitting, and more, with the help of guest teachers.
“It’s important to have those workshops happening in the city. I don’t like when I hear people say, ‘There’s nothing to do.’ I’m like, ‘That’s not true. There’s plenty to do,’” Gutierrez-Krapp said. “I really believe that we should embrace our ancestral traditions. So that’s why beading or bead embroidery, and weaving is very important to me to have it as workshops in this space.”
Gutierrez-Krapp said running her shop over the past year became increasingly difficult as she underwent chemotherapy to treat her breast cancer. She said she will begin treatment that will last until June 2025, and hopes to relaunch her shop on a smaller scale after that.
“I want to say thank you. I’m extremely grateful for the turnout, for the support, for the comments on my Instagram, for the likes. It’s just immense. I’m proud to be El Pasoan and to be part of this community,” Gutierrez-Krapp said.
Aghaa’ Hat Co. will last be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29.
To learn more about the shop and Gutierrez-Krapp’s work, you can visit their website by clicking here.
