May 14, 2024 |
Calling all the mad hatters out there! It’s time to dust off your bowlers, fasteners and snapbacks because radical headwear is having a moment. While there’s never been a season that didn’t offer its take on the coolest new hats, the AW24 shows brought something a bit more avant-garde to the cutting floor. Across New York, London, Paris and Milan, designer’s leaned into the fabulous, fun and flamboyant. But this time, there’s a lot less structure and a lot more nuance. Crazy, off-the-wall hats and timeless caps signalled a resurgence in the allure of headwear as the fash pack’s most coveted accessory.
Esteemed brands like Chanel boasted elongated sun hats that exuded a sense of summer regality. Similarly, Prada’s AW24 headwear was boldly coloured and textural, wrapping around skulls to create high-reaching caps. Comme des Garçons took us on a journey to a fanciful and twisted version of Marie Antoinette’s France with its head-turning accessories (that won’t make you lose your head). The extravagant headpieces perched and toppled above models, like the cherry on top of a decadent dessert – a true feast for the eyes.
Top: Comme des Garçons AW24; Bottom: Vaquera AW24
The runways also flooded with sombre, veiled headpieces. Brands like Vaquera, Thom Browne, and Andreas Konthraler for Vivienne Westwood led the charge with dark, draped and mesh accented caps that tapped into mourning and sophistication. It was high-fashion meets dramatic theatre, as if the models were dressed for a drastic, melancholic affair – a millionaire’s funeral, perhaps?
Top: Rick Owens AW24; Bottom: Chanel AW24
Perhaps the trumpet blower for fashion’s return to highfalutin flair was the Maison Margiela Artisanal show, with headwear and hair-styling seemingly plucked straight out of a Giovanni Boldini painting. Rick Owens also knocked it out of the park with its crazy caps, transporting onlookers to a futuristic and otherworldly cosmos with their Dune-like style as they exuded a bold, brutalist aesthetic.
Top: Maison Margeila Artisanal AW24; Bottom: Thom Browne AW24
There was also something for the skater boys – the squashed beanies seen at Stefan Cooke came oversized for a chiller vibe, perfect for resting atop some raggedy teen mullets. Whatever the occasion, when executed well its hard to resist the charm of a big, boisterous hat. Take your pick!
Top image: Vaquera AW24.
Top: Stephan Cooke AW24; Middle: Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood AW24; Bottom: Prada AW24
