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Alex Tilley, Founder of Iconic Canadian Hat Company, Dies at 87

The Canadian Press reported Nov. 1, 2025 that Alex Tilley, designer and founder of Tilley Endurables, has died at 87.
Tilley announced in 2015 that he planned to retire and sell Tilley Endurables, which was acquired by U.K.-based Hilco Capital and then sold to Toronto-based Gibraltar & Co. in 2018.
In 1980, Tilley created the hat as an avid sailor to serve outdoor enthusiasts, and Tilley Endurables is known for lifetime guarantees on many products.
Tilley chairman Joe Mimran said Alex Tilley was `an inventor, an adventurer and a true Canadian original`, and company statements say Tilley Endurables continues evolving the brand with integrity.
Finished hats were shown at the Toronto factory on Jan. 5, 2017, and Tilley Endurables continues to offer a broad range of products beyond the hat.

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The Globe & Mail

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Alex Tilley, designer of iconic Canadian hat, dies at 87

He created what’s now known as the Tilley hat in 1980 to cater to outdoor enthusiasts

4 days ago·Canada

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Winnipeg Free Press

+9 Reposted by 9 other sources

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Alex Tilley, founder of iconic Canadian hat company, dies at 87

Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

4 days ago·Winnipeg, Canada

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Muskoka411

Iconic Canadian Entrepreneur Alex Tilley Dies At 87

The Canadian entrepreneur who invented the Tilley Hat and a line of outdoor and travel clothing died October 28 of heart failure at age 87 in Muskoka, Ontario. Alex Tilley founded Tilley Endurables, which manufactured its products in Canada, sold worldwide, and supplied hats to the Canadian Armed Forces during the Gulf War. Tilley wanted to be known as “A Good Man Who Made A Better Hat.” Tilley was beloved among many Canadians for his “persnicke…

4 days ago

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