In the Making / Meet Topiku: The Indonesian Makers Behind LYFER's Sustainable Headwear

Every LYFER product has a story behind it.

We believe understanding that story adds value to what you wear, carry, and use.

In the Making is an Avian Journal series that takes you behind some of the products we create, introducing the makers who help bring them to life and the thinking, care, and collaboration behind every piece.

We believe that understanding how something is made, and who helped make it, creates a deeper connection to the things we choose to own.

For this first feature, we're proud to introduce Topiku, the Indonesian social enterprise behind LYFER's headwear collection.  One of the things that stood out to us about Topiku wasn't just how they make their products, but how they measure their impact. Rather than making broad claims, they've built accountability into the way they operate.

We sat down with founder Monty to learn about his journey, the values that drive Topiku, and the story behind one of the birds that now means something to him.

Meet Topiku

Topiku are a social enterprise based in Indonesia, creating responsible headwear with a focus on craft, waste reduction, and local impact.

When we were developing LYFER’s headwear range, we weren’t only looking for someone who could make a cap or bucket hat. We were looking for a maker whose approach aligned with the way we want LYFER products to exist in the world: considered, useful, well-made, and connected to something bigger than the product itself.

Topiku stood out because of how deliberately they work. Their use of up-cycled and recycled materials, their commitment to responsible production, and their certification as a B Corp all pointed to a business that had built values into the process, not just the message.

We were looking for a maker whose approach aligned with the way we want LYFER products to exist in the world

For LYFER, that made the collaboration feel right from the beginning. Our headwear is designed for birders, travellers, walkers, city hangouts, bird days, and everyday outdoor life. Working with Topiku helped us create something that carries that spirit, while also reflecting the care and responsibility behind how it was made.

The Beginning

Topiku began with a shift in direction, a return home, and advice from Monty’s mother that stayed with him. Meet Monty Hasan.

“My name is Monty and I'm the Founder of Topiku; a social enterprise that makes responsible headwear, handcrafted by artisans in Indonesia. It started in 2014. I was a freshman in California who had just failed his first year of architecture. I flew back to Jakarta, and my mom gave me advice she'd always stood by: when you don't know what to do, help other people.

I spent that summer volunteering, and that's where I first learned about upcycling. The following year we launched via crowdfunding as our own apparel brand. Traceably managing our own supply chain opened doors, so we shifted into custom manufacturing for B2B merchandise.

11 years later, we're a certified B Corp and Change Climate Project member.”

A Shared Way of Thinking

Birding was new to the Topiku team when we first connected. What began as a headwear collaboration also became an introduction to a slower, more observant way of experiencing the outdoors.

“Working with LYFER introduced our team to birding for the first time, we genuinely had no idea it was a thing. The more we learned about it, the more it made sense. It's one of the few activities that forces you to slow down, pay attention, and just be present with nature.

In my opinion, it's an accessible way to ground yourself in a world that constantly throws curveballs at you. In an industry that moves fast, that was a good reminder for us.”

Actions Define Us

One of the things that stood out to us about Topiku wasn’t just how they make their products, but how they measure their impact. Rather than making broad claims, they’ve built accountability into the way they operate.

Because what we do defines us, not what we say. 

“Most brands say they give back; we hold ourselves to a number. We formally commit a minimum of 2% of annual revenue to charitable causes through our Change Maker programs. Over the last 4 years, we've averaged 8% (monetary + in-kind donations).

We take real pride in the gap between what we promised and what we actually delivered. It happened naturally when we stopped chasing numbers and started saying yes to opportunities that made sense to us.

Because what we do defines us, not what we say. We are defined by our actions as an organisation, industry, and community. The sum of our local impacts creates change.”

A Bird Close to Home

As part of every In the Making feature, we ask our makers to step into the LYFER world for a moment. We invite them to choose a bird from their local area, learn a little more about it, and share the story behind it.

For Monty, that bird was the White-headed Munia, a small finch native to Southeast Asia. It became part of his own story soon after moving to Bali, when a pair began nesting in his front yard around the same time he and his girlfriend had moved in together.

“The bird I chose is the White-headed Munia – a small, chestnut-brown finch with a pale white head, native to Southeast Asia.

About a month after I moved to Bali, a pair decided to nest right in my front yard. My girlfriend and I had just moved in together, so it was funny – another couple decided to move in at the same time! I took that as a good sign.

I'd watch them fly back and forth collecting stems and leaves, and sometimes I'd leave out little bits of nesting material for them to grab. A few weeks later, there were baby Munias.

Felt like a sign that we were exactly where we needed to be.”

The Story Behind the Product

When we set out to create LYFER’s headwear collection, the product itself was only part of the story. Finding people who shared our values was just as important as finding people who could make it.

Working with Monty and the Topiku team has reinforced why we chose this path. Every cap and bucket hat is the result of conversations, shared ideas, craftsmanship, and trust built across countries and cultures.

The next time you put on your LYFER headwear, we hope you think not only about where it might take you, but also about the people who helped bring it to life.

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In the Making continues with more of the people behind LYFER's products, celebrating the makers, craftsmanship and collaborations that help bring every collection to life.