Even though I like hats, I find it hard to name more than a handful of Milliners. While I hear "hats are back in" a lot, I never hear very much in relation to the milliners or hat makers of the past who shaped this landscape.
I wanted to start collecting some Milliners here, looking back at what they made in order to cast a light on what we are wearing today.
(in no particular order) Part 1 - Bill Cunningham - Street style chronicler extrodinair.
Bill Cunningham is a Street Style photographer from New York, he was born around 1928, and has witnessed a major period of 20th century fashion both first hand and through his lens. He, his photography, and his bicycle were the subjects of "Bill Cunningham New York" a documentary released in March 2011. His career seems to have taken some very interesting twists and turns, and he has photographed a lot of fashion people, capturing the spirit of which ever decade he was working in. My favorite discovery about him however, is that he started out as a milliner, and to save his family from embarrassment under the nom-de-plume "William J". Here are some images of his hats.
My favorites are the little spiral cocktail hat with fur pom pom ( according to Bill - to be worn with a drinking dress) and the Theda Bara inspired feathered turban. (below, Left)
There is a very lovely little film I found on the New York Times website about his hats. Quite uniquely the film has Bill's own commentary over it about the hats featured and his inspirations, which makes me like him and the hats even more.
If you'd like to watch the film, sit back relax and click
here
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