Couture Hats: From the Outrageous to the Refined

“. . . an invaluable part of one’s fashion library as well as an intriguing talking point about an enduring art form."

Fashion in all of its manifestations is considered an art, but in creating millinery, the comparison is at its closest point. Being a hatter or milliner is akin to being a sculptor as a hat is the most three-dimensional of all fashion accessories.

Couture Hats is a small directory of milliners whom most will not know by name. The most famous and notable are Phillip Treacy and Stephen Jones who are considered the masterminds of modern millinery.

What is most interesting about the remaining milliners is that they have all collaborated with the most legendary of modern designers, and so many have studied millinery in either London or New York City while residing in London or New York City.

Each of the featured designers is given several pages highlighting their work in photo form as well as in sketch. Their biographies or resumes, if you will, are brief and contain only the most salient points of their careers including the powerful designer collaborations.

Other standouts among these distinctive designers also include Emma Yeo, William Chambers, Manuel Albarran, and Charlie Le Mindu. Any fashion follower or fan of pop culture will recognize many pieces from these artists without ever having heard or seen their names—and that is why milliners are the unsung heroes of fashion.

One must keep in mind that at the start of the haute couture in Paris, every couturier had multiple milliners in their ateliers creating hats to accessorize almost every creation, hence “the hat business” has deep roots in the world of fashion.

The reader will also be made aware that hat making is not only an art form but a craft involving boundless materials and able to accommodate one’s endless imagination. There seem to be no limits in the world of millinery because trends are not the only determining factor when assessing the beauty and stylishness of a hat.

Couture Hats is a change of pace from the standard fashion reading, both enjoyable and educational. The topic speaks to a variety of audiences from dyed in the wool fashion connoisseurs to those who view these creations as aesthetic wonders.

Mr. Bou’s volume is an invaluable part of one’s fashion library as well as an intriguing talking point about an enduring art form.