Drama from Peru—The Great Brimmed Hat of the Incas

This ensemble is not for the faint of heart; boldness is required not only of the wearer, but also of the photographer aiming to capture its essence. Assigned by the editors of Harper’s Bazaar, George Hoyningen-Huene here proves himself up to the task. His photograph ran in a rare full-color bleed in the magazine, but he keeps the tonal range taut, shrouding the model in chiaroscuro to accentuate her unusual silhouette. Classical motifs were a touchstone of Hoyningen-Huene’s earlier work, and his eye for drapery here remains unmatched. This project finds him looking beyond the Greco-Roman world, toward icon paintings and the Spanish Baroque. But, as the editors assembled the magazine in fall 1940, an American focus came to the fore; wartime escalations along the Western Front prevented any European fashions from appearing in the September issue. So it was that this hat designed by Lilly Daché was described as having a Peruvian spin. Copy accompanying the photograph conjured Incan customs and “the deep color of South American corn.” And for styling suggestions, a practical tip: “The authentic and flattering chullo, Peruvian version of the wimple, is wonderful with furs, or with a collarless neckline.” On subsequent pages, the virtues of Mormon millinery and Native-American pheasant feathers are extolled, albeit with less photographic flair.

Hoyningen-Huene’s fashion photography is well represented in The Met collection, and this will be the fifth color transparency by the artist to enter the collection.