There’s one thing I hate about contemporary fashion: the loss of the precious art of millinery. I do love hats and headgear, in fact I see head dressing as a very important art that can naturally enhance any attire. Very often, though, fashion designers ask milliners or stylists to create fancy hats and headgear for a catwalk to theatrically complement an outfit or to help attracting the attention of buyers and fashionistas to a particular garment. Once the catwalk is over, though, the headgear turns into a distant memory, a part of a long forgotten show, and that’s a shame as hats dress an outfit and often make you feel strangely empowered.
An example: a few weeks ago I was playing with some old stuff lying around the house and I decided to put together an outfit vaguely inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli’s tennis outfits, but with an alternative and chic edge about it. I went for a white cotton knit dress, a fair trade handmade belt, one of my vintage magazine clutches and a pair of vintage Di Varese open waist court shoes (my mum’s). As accessories I opted for a pair of ‘60s Salmoiraghi “Greta” sunglasses (again my mum’s), fair trade wooden necklace and silver rings, broken pieces of shells I picked a while back on the beach worn as false nails and vintage buttons (this time from my aunt’s collection) as body decoration. Yet, I desperately felt that something was missing, so I wrapped around my head a black and brown cotton keffiyeh in a loose and casual turban-like way. Suddenly the whole outfit looked much better.
My longing for hats and headdresses was somehow quenched by Ralph Lauren catwalk at the New York Fashion Week. The North African theme prevailed throughout the catwalk, with outfits in a palette of beiges, khakis and browns that often seemed to be a crossover between Indiana Jones and Greta Garbo. The more casual safari looks were paired with fedoras à la Indiana Jones; contrasts were achieved by juxtaposing a linen beret to a shiny metallic outfit characterised by a relaxed silhouette or a fedora with a linen suit worn with a shiny tie.
Then there was a parade of turbans, some in gold or beige, others in white or black, some were in sensible sizes, others had rather extravagant architectural shapes or were covered in golden beads. Maybe the quirkiest, more frivolous and flamboyant turbans might be too much for most of us, but the others were perfectly wearable and actually worn in an interesting way, with trouser suits and above the knee dresses for a urban and modern look or with long silk evening dresses in creamy colours. The black turbans seemed to frame the face in an interesting way, giving the models a sculpture-like quality.
Some outfits and turbans reminded me of Greta Garbo’s attire in Richard Boleslawski‘s The Painted Veil, and in particular of one gown that bore some Chinese and Indian influence that the actress wore with a turban by Adrian.
Maybe Ralph Lauren’s S/S 09 catwalk won’t be enough to give the millinery industry a much needed boost, yet I genuinely hope it will help bringing back hats in the streets.
In the meantime, as Autumn is sadly approaching, my cotton keffiyeh will soon cease to be a turban and return to be a scarf that I might wear with my late uncle Borsalino’s hat (yes, I come from a family of stylish people…). Spring 09 is still far away, but anticipating that Ralph Lauren look will be fun. Now if I could only find a shiny or lamé tie in the house I could even complete that look…
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