Christian Dior, in the 1950swas severed: «Without a hat there is no civilization». The new generation probably also thought so and, within a few years, dethroned him, considering him too conservative to coexist with the irreverence of the 1968s. After almost two centuries of protagonism, therefore, the hat faced an identity crisis. Forgotten? Never. Beloved? Very. But also a little feared.
Although useful for protecting from the sun and shielding the head from the cold, for many it is still a source of embarrassment. Although many collections and even the most well-known fashion shows this season advise us to choose the headgear best suited to our style (and our face) without any shyness, indulging in a bit of healthy and practical vanity.
Women’s hat, history
«Italian production is extensive, even in exports. We have some magnificent districts: like the Marche and Campania for hats, but also Florence for straw and jersey” confirms Giorgia Roviaro, expert in the history of hats and heir to Palladio hat shop 1899 of Vicenza. «A savoir-faire that is literally intertwined with Italian history, returning to the “trecciaiole”: women who at home, especially in Veneto and Tuscany, worked straw for baskets, flasks and hats. It was 1896 when industrial production and Asian straw put those professions under pressure: in the Florentine area, Barsene Conti led the braiders in one of the first strikes in national history, an example of female awareness”.
A Dior Winter 2024 studded leather beret (Spotlight Launchmetrics).
And what about Giuseppe Borsalinocreator of one of the first companies that, by producing Italian hats on an industrial scale, encouraged their export? An iconic Italian brandchosen for a recent partnership by Damiani, in which three Borsalino hats were adorned with jewels from the maison, for its precious centenary.
«A tradition carried on by many brands. Grevi and Marzi, Luigi Guido Tesi and Cappelli Marone, or Ferruccio Vecchi. There are many examples in fashion shows: the creative headphones by Louis Vuitton, the hats by Dior or the now iconic berets by Giorgio Armani. For his first Valentino Summer 2025 fashion show, Alessandro Michele has proposed many and all original.”
Maxi hat from the first Valentino collection designed by Alessandro Michele for Summer 2025 (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images).
Chanel models are also inevitable: after all, Mademoiselle Coco began her career as a milliner. «Even in hats the couturière tried to lighten the more opulent lines, bringing the boaterthe boater, still visible in the maison’s collections.” The advice? «Choose natural materials. Not only to let your head breathe, but also to avoid hair made “electric” by synthetic fabrics! » concludes Roviaro.
Actress Margaret Qualley at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a Chanel Winter 2024 maxi hat (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage).
The art of women’s hats on display in Paris
Speaking of originality. In Parisfor the first time in over 40 years the Palais Galliera dedicates an exhibition to just one accessory, the hat. Treated as a work of art. In Stephen Jones. Artist hats (until 16 March 2025) you can admire the collections of one of the most famous (mad) hatters from the 1980s to the present day. «His English humor took the inherent originality to the extreme, given that already in the 18th century headdresses were enriched with unimaginable objects!» says Marie-Laure Gutton, head of the museum’s accessory collections. «His impeccable English training met French couture when he created for Jean Paul Gaultier, Claude Montana or Thierry Mugler. The collaboration with Dior is long: for Maria Grazia Chiuri thought of easier models, such as hats and bobs.”
The art model “Je ne sais quoi” by Stephen Jones (2010, © Peter Ashworth) is inspired by the classic Napoleonic double horn.
Love at first sight between fashion and music
The histrionic Jones was supported by the musical world, met in the famous Blitz club in London: a crossroads of punk-rock bands and stylists. «Steve Strange, lead singer of Visage, was the first to buy one of his models. Boy George also became a customerbringing Stephen himself into the video for Do You Really Want to Hurt Me in 1982″ underlines Gutton, specifying how many rock stars today guarantee their recognizability thanks to the use of original headgear.
Beyond the extravagances, the baseball cap remains among the most sought after modelsalso interpreted with heels and chic jackets. «For us it is a timeless model, we sell many of them. It can be worn in more urban looks as well as on weekends away” explains Marta Gramaccioni, buyer for the Florentine LuisaViaRomaan icon among luxury multi-brands (but born in 1929 as a small hat boutique). «Elegant and functional, the beret is also in demand: to be worn colorful, with long coats and scarves tied around the neck, for a touch of french touch».
The eccentric hat, between avant-garde and the future
If we talk about originality, impossible not to mention the bold pioneer Lilly Daché. From France he moved to America in the 1920s, designing models loved by Hollywood stars and dizzying compositions worn by Carmen Miranda: swirls of veils, bows and textures created with unique materials such as string, glass and lucitea plastic material. The turbans were draped over the heads of the customers in different dressing rooms, furnished with colors chosen to enhance the women’s complexion.
Pagoda hats designed by milliner Lilly Daché and published in Vogue in 1954 (Richard Rutledge/CondÈ Nast via Getty Images).
But who are they the heirs of so much experimentation? A prime example is Maryam Keyhani: born in Tehran and raised in Canada, today lives in Berlin, making architectural models by hand. Ruslan Baginskiy is also now consecratedwinner last year in the Accessories Category of the prestigious French Andam award (National Association for the Development of Fashion Arts). A recognition that sounds like a consecration for the young Ukrainian: «Creating hats for Madonna, Beyoncé or the British royal family has been a magical journey for which I am grateful» Ruslan tells us.
«Hats once explained what you did, who you were. Work, noble or religious models defined you first and foremost in society. Now their meaning is multifaceted: inspiration can come from the past, without having social “borders”.
There is freedom to experiment with materials, shapes and even technology. It is increasingly clear to me how an interest in hats has become a means of self-expression. No longer obligatory accessories, but extensions of a personality that we choose to show every day.”
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