I don't think anyone will be surprised that there were MANY sparks of inspiration after my initial visit to view the Bes-Ben hats in the Texas Fashion Collection. The biggest projects that resulted from my research in February 2019 were collaborative, as most big projects are. I served on the planning committee for the first-ever Milliners Guild millinery design competition. It's theme? Bes-Ben! Participating milliners were tasked with the challenge of creating a hat inspired by the artistry, imagination and innovation for which the label is known.
We received 84 phenomenal entries from around the world. The Top 10, as chosen by judges Stephen Jones, Elizabeth Jachimowicz, Cigmond Meachen and Anna Kern, were included in an exhibition entitled "Hats: Humor & High Design" that I co-curated with TFC director Annette Becker. The exhibition was on view at Northpark Center in Dallas in the spring of 2022. On display were the Top 10 plus 18 additional hats by contemporary and historic milliners such as Stephen Jones, Byron Lars, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Jack McConnell. The hats celebrated and showcased the collective imagination and ingenuity displayed by milliners of the past 90 years.
The exhibition included only two original Bes-Ben hats. We were lucky enough to partner with collector Mary Robak, who loaned the printed silk canasta-themed hat that is on the cover of the Bes-Ben book by Elizabeth Jachimowicz.
The one hat that Annette and I chose from the TFC archives was a small brown velvet hatlet adorned with stamped brass hummingbirds, gold plastic beads and a veil.
Photos courtesy of UNT Texas Fashion Collection Digital Archive
Stamped brass findings like these have been in production for over 100 years. They're frequently used in jewelry design and of course, Benjamin Green-field was always exploring unique embellishments for hats. So began my search and a modern interpretation of his hummingbird hat. My version has 6 birds atop a classic headband, blocked in black sinamay. I made the first one in 2022, right after the exhibition closed. The design is now available for purchase on my website alongside 3 other headpieces featuring brass trims. Together they comprise the "Aureole" collection. The word means a circle of light or brightness, especially around the head - like a halo or crown.
You may see other examples of Bes-Ben hats with brass embellishments in Elizabeth's wonderful book, including some crickets on pgs 272-3 that are very similar to my cicadas.