Hat
1951 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (later Lady Dacre) was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris. She required an extensive wardrobe for the many formal dinners and state functions that she had to attend, and no outfit was complete without the appropriate accessories such as hats and gloves.
Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the French couturier Jacques Fath (1912-54). The designer lent her evening and day dresses each season, aware of the publicity that this would give his house. She recalled ‘If there was a Fath dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.’
Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the French couturier Jacques Fath (1912-54). The designer lent her evening and day dresses each season, aware of the publicity that this would give his house. She recalled ‘If there was a Fath dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.’
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Shaped felt and mohair, lined with satin |
| Brief description | Wide brimmed hat of felt and mohair, made by Svend for Jacques Fath, Paris, 1951 |
| Physical description | Hat of mid-blue felt and mohair. It has a shallow crown and a wide brim which slopes downwards with a head support inside the crown, and is covered in black satin, with approximately 2 inches extended on the top of the crown, laid flat. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Jacques Fath / Paris' (Label, machine woven, black on white) |
| Gallery label | LADY ALEXANDRA: A COUTURE CLIENT [case panel]
Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (later Lady Dacre) was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris. She required an extensive wardrobe for the many formal dinners and state functions that she had to attend.
A couture client would attend all the fashion collections, seated in the front row if she were especially important. After the show, she would place her orders with her personal vendeuse or saleswoman. A calico toile would be created, then the final garment, a process involving numerous time-consuming fittings.
Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at Jacques Fath. The designer lent her evening and day dresses each season, aware of the publicity that this would give his house. ‘If there was a Fath dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.’ [150 words]
[object label]
Hats
Jacques Fath (1912-54)
Paris
About 1950
Mohair and felt
V&A: T.187-1974(22/09/2007) |
| Credit line | Given by Lady Alexandra Trevor-Roper |
| Object history | Hats shaped like this one were often historically known as 'Coolie' hats. The term has fallen from usage and is now considered offensive. |
| Historical context | Lady Alexandra Trevor-Roper favoured Fath for her wardrobe, and contributed the large portion of the V&A's Fath collection. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (later Lady Dacre) was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris. She required an extensive wardrobe for the many formal dinners and state functions that she had to attend, and no outfit was complete without the appropriate accessories such as hats and gloves. Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the French couturier Jacques Fath (1912-54). The designer lent her evening and day dresses each season, aware of the publicity that this would give his house. She recalled ‘If there was a Fath dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.’ |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.187-1974 |
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| Record created | January 12, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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