There has been a lot of talk about Simon Porte's Jacquemus label, and, as summer is drawing near, his oversized straw hats have become popular in hip shoots and features. One of the latest straw hats that appeared on the runway of the A/W 18 collection ("Le Souk") was reminiscent in its shape of Balenciaga's elliptical headdress accessorising the iconic 1967 solemn silk gazar wedding gown.
Yet before that, Jacquemus came up with a straw hat characterised by an even more exaggerated size and included in his S/S 18 "La Bomba" collection. The super wide brimmed hat is the protagonist of many chic and cool posts on Jacquemus' Instagram page. Though absolutely surreal and slightly comical, the hat – considered as an irresistible trendy novelty (it is indeed apparently sold out) – is not new at all.
It was indeed Schiaparelli who created in 1949 a giant straw hat: in Schiap's case the hat had two holes so that the wearer could use it as a sort of jacket, employ it to protect herself from unwanted attention or even try and change herself under it once on the beach. In this 1949 photoshoot the hat was matched with Schiap's white sandals inspired by men's spats (will we see them reappearing on some runways one of these days?).
Writing about the hat on La Settimana Incom in 1949, Italian fashion critic Irene Brin, joked saying that this was a mediocre invention, implying that Schiaparelli had lost it, and sarcastically adding (without being afraid of offending the fashion designer) that Schiap was maybe just enjoying taking the piss out of women and humiliating them.
Simon Porte Jacquemus' "invention" is regarded as the ultimate fashion accessory for the trendy and fashionable girl, but, you wonder, what if we could apply what Irene Brin stated about Schiap to Jacquemus as well? Food for thought, food for thought.
Related articles
