Hat

Balenciaga’s career spanned an era when hats were considered an essential accessory for any well-dressed woman. Shortly after founding his couture house he created a hat department, which produced inventive designs that elegantly completed his looks. This branch maintained the same standards of workmanship as his dressmaking and tailoring ateliers, producing new styles with each collection. As the fashion magazine Jardin des Modes aptly described in 1961, “Balenciaga’s hats are an integral part of his fashion: they are carefully designed to complement the lines of his ensembles, to balance the volumes and finish off the silhouette to perfection.” An ensemble was not conceptually complete without its hat, which could reinforce the austerity or extravagance of its line or introduce an unexpected dramatic accent.