Top 10 Couture Hats

The topic of couture millinery cannot come up without the mention of Philip Treacy. His one of a kind, hand made hats have been sported by royalty, celebrities and runway models. Each hat is intricate and completely unique, exemplifying true artistry and craftsmanship. In spring of 2008 Treacy teamed up with Alexander McQueen to produce this butterfly hat for his runway show.

Little is known about House of Architects except that it makes some incredible headwear. The hats from the mysterious company are geometric, sharp and striking. The extremely modern lines and attention to detail have brought the work of House of Architects into several editorial pages.

Whether you’d like to dub them a hat or a mask, the Swarovski crystal encrusted headpieces from Maison Martin Margiela’s 2012 couture runway show caused a stir among fashion fans and critics alike. The collection was about reclaiming regular objects and turning them into extraordinary pieces, the roots of the design house. This display was certainly not the first dramatic moment MMM has brought to the runway and it is certainly not the last.

Japanese pop artist Nagi Noda left behind a legacy of creative, intriguing and down right strange when she passed away in 2008. One of her most captivating collections was, no doubt, her hair hats. Using real human hair, Noda turned typical locks into lions, elephants, deer and other animals. The delicately sculpted hair hats are easily mistaken for wigs or synthetic fiber, but they are 100% natural human hair.

Suzy O’Rourke began her millinery business in 2003 and has since added a bridal line to her couture hats. The headpieces are made by hand and can be custom ordered for color or a change in details from her studio in Sydney, Australia. O’Rourke strives for elegance and divine detail, blending together structured form with luxurious materials. Her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, titled Gilt, brought this 24 karat gold and rabbit velour fur hat into existence.

Combining his love of contemporary art and architecture with his admiration for history, London based milliner Noel Stewart has become an international success. He has collaborated with big fashion names such as Erdem, Diesel and Oscar de la Renta . This over-sized, delicate piece comes from his Spring/Summer 2011 collection entitled Coral Bay. The hat is crafted from silk chiffon and organza, with details of beading to a final pop.

Katsuya Kamo found his true calling when a friend pointed him in the direction of hair and hat design. The milliner’s calling was recognized by couture house Chanel in 2009 when Karl Lagerfeld recruited Kamo to design the headpieces for the spring runway show. The floral headpieces were all handcrafted from pieces of paper, each with a special shape and look for the matching ensemble. Kamo has been involved in several other high fashion photoshoots, creating custom headpieces and hats from hand.

Nicholas Ghesquiere, the genius designer behind Balenciaga since 1997, looked into the fashion house’s archives before sketching the Spring/Summer 2012 collection. When it was completed, the signature piece was a reworked, floppy sunhat. Turned into a visor with a downward scoping brim that elongated towards the back, the fashion world wasn’t quite sure how to react. The hat soon became one of most talked about pieces from all the Spring/Summer shows.

The Filipino corset and hat crafter, The Filipino corset and hat crafter, Mich Dulce, has been honored for her youthful innovation in the fashion industry. Her aesthetic often contrasts soft with hard and is as much a fine art as a wearable garment. Her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection is both eerie and innocent. Inspired by the last queen of Versailles and the lavish 18th century lifestyle, the collection “In Dreams You Are” showcases Dulce’s innovation and outside the box thinking perfectly.

French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier has long been know for his outrageous designs and concepts, for example his couture presentation earlier this year as an homage to the late Amy Winehouse and her towering beehive hair. In Fall 2012, Gaultier’s collection was inspired from the period film Confessions of a Child from the Century and embodied a seductive, 19th century charm. All the looks were dandy styled, dapper and unexpected. This white slat top hat was one of the gems of the show, presented on the traditional final haute couture look – the wedding gown.