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These ingenuous headwear designs blend fashion statement with environmental consciousness as they help harvest clean energy and distribute valuable resources.

Part of the Solar Charged collection from British clothing brand Vollebak, Solar Charged Hat can glow in the dark when charged or exposed to a source of light during the day. This unusual property makes the hat indispensable for an outing in the woods – at night the glow it emits can be easily seen and tracked either from a distance, among the trees, or from above.

The core technology behind the light absorbing head covering is an ultra-thin membrane just below its outer surface, which is made from a highly reactive material that absorbs sunlight in the same manner a plant does. This sewn-in phosphorescent compound enables the hat quickly store any light it comes into contact with and re-emit it slowly over time. Since the phosphorescence is engineered into the membrane itself, it becomes part of the fabric, so it can’t wash out or rub off.

When the user point a smartphone torch or a regular flashlight at the hat, it immediately glows in the dark. But even without a light source at hand, it can glow on its own, as long as the wearer gets it fully charged during the day. The brighter the source it is charged with, and the longer it is exposed to a source of light, the more energy it will absorb, and the longer and brighter it will glow.

Besides, the hat serves its primary purpose well. It is engineered with a three-layered material that is water and wind-resistant, while an ultra-soft fleece lining and insulation helps to keep the wearer warm in extreme cold. It also comes with adjustable storm flaps reinforced with Cordura panels.

Tech startup EcoFlow has integrated solar panels into a lightweight summer cap, so that wearers can use heat waves to power up their smartphones. The innovative head covering, aptly named Power Hat, has several hidden solar panels encircling it. This solution cancel the need to follow the sun to power the devices. Assuming that the battery capacity of an average smartphone is 4,000 mAh, the solar panels can fully charge it in around three or four hours.

The folds do not interfere with the fashion technology that allows for solar charging, which enables the user to bend the hat, so it easily fits into a backpack. The accessory only weighs around 370 grams, which alongside it being water– and dustproof makes it the perfect choice for outdoor use.

There’s a partial covering around the top part to let the air flow in and out around the head area. The users also get a strap around the hat so they can adjust its size.

As her graduate project at the London College of Fashion, designer Mijoda Dajomi has crafted a collection of hats that are designed to capture and store rainwater. Named Daughters of Rain, the striking project serves as a speculative response to a future threatened by the climate change where freshwater becomes an increasingly scarce resource. It is intended to make an environmental statement, using the language of fashion to raise public awareness about critical ecological issues.

The resulting hat is as stylish as it is sustainable. The headwear gets its leather-like appearance from the material it is crafted from – waxed cotton, fabric donated by luxury brand Barbour, which is further treated with organic beeswax. The sturdy construction allows the headwear to harvest up to 5 liters of rainwater while being worn. The choice of materials ensures that the hat not only repels water but also effectively collects and retains it without leaks.

The shape of the head covering draws inspiration from the attire of lay sisters – women dedicated to charity and social causes. Just as these sisters united in their mission, the Daughters of Rain are imagined as a future collective that serves their communities by managing and distributing the vital resources of rainwater.