Mad Hatters: Show-Stopping Hats for Spring
There’s something magical about a truly great hat.
Call it the Kate Middleton effect; call it the “street style” effect — whatever the reason, hats have been having a moment, from sophisticated fedoras to eye-catching works of art perched atop It-girls’ heads during Fashion Week.
For those looking for inspiration, here’s no time to embrace a truly fanciful hat like spring — the season of garden parties, pastel prints, and Easter egg hunts. Here, we highlight 9 dreamy options, straight from the studios of milliners Anya Caliendo and Eric Javits — modeled by up-and-coming model and musician Rachel Sage Piña-Trachtenburg (who also happens to host her own internet talk radio show, Pure Imagination, on Gary Null’s Progressive Radio Network).
About the Milliners: Caliendo got her start in Britain, training with famous milliner Mrs. Rose Corey, who even produced hats for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. “I believe that the true enchantment of a woman begins with a fabulous hat,” says Caliendo. “I love working with fabrics both traditional and nontraditional. It all depends on the mood of the hat I am creating: some demand pure Italian silk, some favor plastic or aluminium foil, some ask to be gold plated—I always listen to what my hats are whispering to me.”
Javits founded his business back in 1985, and is perhaps best known for developing a unique straw-like material that’s both lightweight and flexible called Squishee®, that’s as unique as it is lightweight. Custom, innovative hats are truly his main creative outlet, along with amazing hats that women can wear every day.
Photographer: Audrey Froggatt
Stylist: Faustina Rose
Model: Rachel Trachtenburg (Elite)
Makeup: Jess Plummer
Hairstylist: Anthony Payne at Mario Nico Salon
Photo and Fashion Assistant: Melissa Vento
Puppy: Philly Payne
