Hat

Jeanne Lanvin, the founder of the oldest couture house in continuous operation, launched her prolific design career as a milliner in 1885. For more than twenty years she focused on hats, expanding into children’s clothing in 1908 and joining the French dressmaker’s union, signifying her entry to haute couture, the following year. Her company steadily thrived as she broadened operations to encompass bridal, furs, menswear, sportswear, fragrance, home furnishings, and costume for the stage. Although she garnered the most recognition for her romantic and exotic dresses, millinery remained a staple of the business, and several aspects of her approach to fashion design are clearly grounded in this early training. This includes a sensitive eye for embellishment, as reflected in the elegant sophistication and detail of this hat. The asymmetric style is composed from a swoop of purple velvet that has been encircled with a narrow cloud of mink at the crown. The brim is anchored with clusters of silken blooms that are arranged in a delicate equilibrium between top and bottom edge.