Hat
Designer Halston American
Department Store Bergdorf Goodman American
Not on view
Beginning his career as a milliner, Halston later crossed over to ready-to-wear, promoting minimal design. His loyal clientele of the rich and famous chose to display his creations in trendy locals such as New York's Studio 54. In 1971, he began incorporating Ultrasuede into his work, which was an instant success, becoming one of his signature fabrics. Halston's quick rise to fame ended abruptly when he agreed to design an inexpensive line for J.C. Penney. While his career ended in the eighties, his innovations continue to be seen in fashion today, and have been resurrected with the Halston brand of the twenty-first century.
The hat featured here is a wonderful example of Halston's early milinery work. The shape of the hat is very inventive as well as dramatic with the upturned brim. The clean lines and the sense of sculpture created by the shape of the hat follow Halston's design aesthetic.