Hat
ca. 1953 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Milliner Simone Mirman was born in Paris and was art-school trained. She worked for fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in Paris and came to London in 1947. Mirman, who referred to her hats as ‘objects d’art’, worked first from an attic before opening her couture millinery salon in London. She made hats for Princess Margaret from 1953 and the Queen and the Queen Mother from the 1960s.
With typical aplomb, Simone Mirman scattered diminutive rosebuds over this summer hat. In 1953, the year in which this hat was made, the nation celebrated the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the millinery trade enjoyed an upsurge in business and profits.
With typical aplomb, Simone Mirman scattered diminutive rosebuds over this summer hat. In 1953, the year in which this hat was made, the nation celebrated the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the millinery trade enjoyed an upsurge in business and profits.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Horsehair and chiffon |
| Brief description | Conical shaped horsehair hat, London, ca. 1953 |
| Physical description | Low triangular sparterie shape hat of long black horse hair. The shape has been lined with flesh coloured chiffon and then a double layer of flesh coloured net. Four rosebuds in shades of pink with green velvet leaves peep out from beneath the horse hair. |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Simone Mirman' (Printed in black on white petersham ribbon label) |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Worn by Mrs Doris Langley Moore |
| Object history | Worn by Mrs. Doris Langley Moore, foundress of the Musuem of Costume in Bath. Hats shaped like this one were often historically known as 'Coolie' hats. The term has fallen from usage and is now considered offensive. |
| Summary | Milliner Simone Mirman was born in Paris and was art-school trained. She worked for fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in Paris and came to London in 1947. Mirman, who referred to her hats as ‘objects d’art’, worked first from an attic before opening her couture millinery salon in London. She made hats for Princess Margaret from 1953 and the Queen and the Queen Mother from the 1960s. With typical aplomb, Simone Mirman scattered diminutive rosebuds over this summer hat. In 1953, the year in which this hat was made, the nation celebrated the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the millinery trade enjoyed an upsurge in business and profits. |
| Bibliographic reference | de la Haye, Amy, ed. The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion 1947-1997. V&A Publications, London, England, 1997, p. 141. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.113-1980 |
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| Record created | September 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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