milliner

Opal Hat Could Be The Most Valuable Hat Ever Auctioned Off

I've never seen a hat quite like it. The piece above is titled the "Deep Blue Sea" and was created by Australian master milliner Ann Maree Willett and opal miners Vicki and Peter Drackett to showcase opals mined at Australia's famous Lightning Ridge. The hat will be sold at the "Nature of Opals" sale at Bonhams & Butterfields, San Francisco on November 10. The hat is formed from hand-blocked Australian felt, decorated with bright feathers and carrying 26 opals weighing approximately 1,447 carats. The opals were carved into beautiful microsculptures by Daniela L'Abbate and Christine Roussel and placed in sterling silver and 18-karat gold settings by master goldsmith Gerd Gerold Schulz. It is estimated at between $150,000 and $200,000 which would place it among the most expensive hats ever sold at auction. The world's most expensive hat is the Chapeau d'Amour-the "hat of love"-created by designer Louis Mariette. It is made of woven platinum and covered in diamonds and has a value of $2.7 million.

The sale also includes a wide variety of the types of opals available from brown boulder opals shot through with blue flashes, to orangy fire opals and plenty of white opals showing bright rainbow fire. Many lots are intricately carved and some are opalized fossils of flora and fauna. Before the November 10 auction, Bonhams & Butterfields will hold highlight presentations in Los Angeles October 1-3 and New York October 16-18, followed by a full preview in San Francisco from November 6-9.

[via National Jeweler]

Tags: bonhams, bonhams and butterfields, Bonhams auction, Bonhams Butterfields, BonhamsButterfields, hat, milliner, millinery, opal, opals

Crumple-Friendly Straw Hats by Robert Gellar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Personally I think fedoras are one of the most versatile hats and look good on pretty much everybody, so of course I love these travel-friendly designs by Robert Geller. From his spring and summer 2010 collection and made in collaboration with Japan's distinguished CA4LA haberdashery, his straw fedoras and caps are not only stylish, fresh, and breezy looking but are also conveniently able to be crumpled in a suitcase or tote bag. The 100% straw hats are available in versatile shades like natural, navy, and gray and only look better with everyday wear. $215 - $265

Via Acquire

Gallery: Robert Gellar Spring/Summer 2010 Straw Hats

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Tags: fedora, haberdashery, hat, milliner, millinery, robert gellar, staw hats, summer hats

Mühlbauer Hats - Vienna's Must-See Hat Shop

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Green riding hat adorned with pins and tassels

Without knowing it, you may have already seen a Mühlbauer hat. They've been worn by celebrities from Brad Pitt to Yoko Ono, and for good reason: they are gorgeous and remarkably well-made. Mühlbauer has 12 locations worldwide and can be purchased at Project No. 8 in Brooklyn and Fred Segal Hats in Santa Monica (that's it for the USA), but it all started in Vienna.

The company began in 1903 with a millinery and small hat shop in Floridsdorf, a suburb of Vienna. Today, fourth generation Mühlbauer, Klaus Mühlbauer, runs the company -- and he and his sister Marlies design all the collections, which are hand-made right in Vienna. The craftsmanship is of extraordinarily elite quality, making it a treat just to try on the hats. Also, if you can't afford to purchase one for yourself, you can pick up a classic Viennese hat pin for under 20 euros, which they make in charmingly quaint styles like fish and flowers with "Austria"-emblazoned ribbons.

The upcoming collection for Spring and Summer is called "Hello Josefine" in honor of the youngest addition to the Mühlbauer family, Klaus' daughter. We got a sneak peek at some of the upcoming styles and had a ball browsing around in the Vienna Mühlbauer location at Seilergasse 10 in the 1st district.

Gallery: Favorites at Mühlbauer Hats

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: austria, hat, hat shop, hats, Mühlbauer, milliner, millinery, Muhlbauer, vienna

Philip Treacy Hat For Breast Cancer

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Charity

Philip Treacy's latest creation -- a bright pink abstraction of the breast cancer ribbon -- will be sold exclusively at Selfridges with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care. Of course Treacy is the milliner behind the boldest fashion statements from the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss. He was also the genius who designed Camilla Parker Bowles's matrimonial millinery. Each one of the special "Pink Knot Hats" will be made to order. Contact Selfridges for more information and see philiptreacy.co.uk for his latest ready-to-wear collection.

[via Vogue.com UK]

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Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer care, BreastCancer, BreastCancerCare, camilla parker bowles, CamillaParkerBowles, hats, kate moss, KateMoss, milliner, philip treacy, PhilipTreacy, pink knot hat, PinkKnotHat, sarah jessica parker, SarahJessicaParker, selfridges