Hat

Cristobal 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, fabricating new styles with each collection. Integral to Balenciaga’s ensembles, hats could reinforce the austerity or extravagance of a silhouette or introduce an unexpected dramatic accent. His hats of the 1950s employed typical millinery materials, such as feathers and tulle, to create simple or striking shapes that would set off his fashions.