Hat thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Hat

ca. 1937-1939 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This hat was designed by Madam Suzy, who first rose to prominence on the Parisian fashion scene in the 1920s. Suzy was known for her exotic hats and colour combinations. Her boutique at 5 rue de la Paix was an incredibly popular destination for both fashionable Parisiennes and visitors to the city, and was illustrated by Rene Bouche for the cover of British Vogue in May 1939. During the war Suzy designed hats for the American market. She closed her business in the 1950s.

The large red and white straw braids from which this hat is woven give an artisanal feel to the structure of the hat. The crown of the hat is cleverly sunken in but rises into a little point at the centre. The brim is heavily decorated with water lillies and the hat has a red veil with a large honeycomb pattern. Worn tilted forward on the head, this style of 'perch' hat was poular from the late 1930s and throughout the Second World War.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Plaited raffia and silk
Brief description
Plaited raffia and silk percher or 'doll hat', designed by Madame Suzy, Paris, ca. 1937-1939
Physical description
Red and white plaited raffia straw percher or 'doll hat'. With an indented crown, trimmed with a red silk veil draped over the whole and tied in a large knot at the back, large artificial water lilies in cream and deep fuchsia pink, and pink ribbon. A bow is stitched under the veil at the back. Black elastic to keep the hat secure.
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Madame Suzy' (On a white silk label stitched at the back)
  • Transliteration
Credit line
Given by Lady Glenconner
Summary
This hat was designed by Madam Suzy, who first rose to prominence on the Parisian fashion scene in the 1920s. Suzy was known for her exotic hats and colour combinations. Her boutique at 5 rue de la Paix was an incredibly popular destination for both fashionable Parisiennes and visitors to the city, and was illustrated by Rene Bouche for the cover of British Vogue in May 1939. During the war Suzy designed hats for the American market. She closed her business in the 1950s.

The large red and white straw braids from which this hat is woven give an artisanal feel to the structure of the hat. The crown of the hat is cleverly sunken in but rises into a little point at the centre. The brim is heavily decorated with water lillies and the hat has a red veil with a large honeycomb pattern. Worn tilted forward on the head, this style of 'perch' hat was poular from the late 1930s and throughout the Second World War.
Collection
Accession number
T.62-1967

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Record createdMay 1, 2009
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