Exhibition Showcases the Pinnacle of Fashion: The Hat

“If clothing is a radio,” says famous milliner Stephen Jones, “a hat is the volume control.” For its next exhibition, HATtitude: the Milliner in Culture & Couture, on view from February 11 through April 12, ArtsWestchester has cranked up the volume full blast. The exhibition assembles more than 160 hats from contemporary couture milliners and private collections of vintage and global hats in an exciting celebration of the art of millinery.

HATtitude takes a sweeping approach to the position of hats in global cultures and its prominence in 20th and 21st-century fashion. At the core of the exhibition are extraordinary hats that push the boundaries of the wearable and transform the heads they adorn into living pedestals.  Whether the minimalist trapezoidal form crafted by a Zulu woman in South Africa for cultural ceremonies or a fanciful and dramatic haute couture creation by Anya Caliendo, these hats are art.

Organized into three main categories: Everyday, Celebration, and Couture, the exhibited hats serve as vessels of human social behavior. Alongside sculptural, haute couture pieces and utilitarian head coverings are hats used in religious ceremonies, performances, and cultural festivities in all corners of the globe.

Many of the contributing milliners are highly sought after by fashionistas the world over. Louise Green creates romantic, vintage inspired pieces for film and TV. Meanwhile, derby-goers are eager to have their heads styled by White Plains resident Catherine Stevens of Cat Stevens Derby Couture.

For many women, a hat is a tool to hide a "bad hair day." But for the majority of the history of fashion, you weren’t considered dressed if you left your hat at home. Today, while the fashion hat is no longer part of a man or woman’s daily ensemble, the right topper makes the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. HATtitude highlights the best of the best.

For more info,visit: artsw.org/hattitude.

HATtitude: The Milliner in Culture & Couture
On View through April 12
Gallery hours: Tues-Sat, 12-5pm
artsw.org/hattitude