India’s fascination for headgear doesn’t solely lengthen to the socio-religious ambit with taqiyah, EXPLAIN taqiyah turbans or conventional Bengali topor, but in addition to the politico-cultural zeitgeist. Remember the well-known Gandhi topi that made a comeback with social activist Anna Hazare’s 2011 starvation strike for The Lokpal Bill? The accent got here to outline the sartorial decisions of many freedom fighters too, take Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, as an illustration. In the world of sports activities, additionally, baseball caps and cricket hats have been nothing in need of a type assertion.
MUMBAI, 07/04/2011: Social activist Anna Hazare on the third day of his quick unto dying marketing campaign, demanding anti-corruption regulation on the traces of Lokpal Bill, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Supporters of Anna Hazare carrying Gandhi Topi and holding a tricolour in her hand take part in rally, ‘India Against Corruption’ at Azad maidan in Mumbai on April 07, 2011.
Photo: Vivek Bendre
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VIVEK BENDRE
An unmistakable choose for a sunny day on the seashore, a polo match or a derby, hats have at all times been round. They might assume a distinguished spot on the equipment vertical of main fashion retail manufacturers that additionally dabble in attire, however solely a handful of individuals in India tread the highway much less travelled that leads to the artsy-craftsy world of millinery.
Passion venture
Shilpa Chavan who runs the label Little Shilpa, based in 2008, is the first that comes to thoughts.
Shilpa Chavan, the first Indian milliner to have designed headgears for celebrities like Lady Gaga and Sonam Kapoor
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The Mumbai-based milliner may as effectively be referred to as an artist for the post-modern aesthetics she employs to her dramatic headpieces that are a cross between fascinators and wearable artwork. She is the first Indian milliner to design headgear for celebrities like Lady Gaga and Sonam Kapoor, whereas additionally stamping her presence on runways — be it designing headgear for contestants and hosts of magnificence pageants in the Nineties or showcasing her headpieces at Lakme Fashion Week in 2009, adopted by London Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week.
“Of course, headgear is embedded in India’s cultural narrative. Hat making or millinery is a craft, just like embroidery. I did a military-inspired collection in 2011 and was scrounging for someone who makes Gandhi topis, but could only spot one man in Mumbai. So, I got him to replicate the topi in the fabric I wanted. Sadly, millinery is not recognised,” she says. Stating that headgear may be too “costumey”, Shilpa says it has to be purposeful too, particularly when it goes into a retail area.
Little Shilpa’s military-inspired assortment
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Functionality is in truth considered one of the the reason why Ahmedabad-based Nirali Rangwala, who based Maaneh Millinery in 2018, launched solar hats to her eclectic assortment of fascinators, derby hats and berets final yr. “Historically, though Indian men have always been sporting hats and headgear, Indian women covered their heads with the pallu of a sari, a dupatta or a scarf. To Indian women, the concept of hats was introduced by colonisers. So, I wanted to create hats that could be worn in the sun, let alone occasions like polo matches or a derby,” she says.
Ahmedabad-based Nirali Rangwala, who based Maaneh Millinery in 2018
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Nirali, who’s an aerospace engineer by occupation, was enticed by millinery in Kentucky in 2011. “I was working in Kentucky. It is known for the derby. I was mesmerised by fascinators and hats sported by women at one of the derby events there. I learnt the craft from Jenny Pfanenstiel, who is based in Louisville, and then attended several workshops on millinery,” she provides. Nirali began the model quickly after getting married. “I was beguiling my time with millinery in Gujarat, after I got married and shifted to India, when my husband and in-laws took note of my creations. They were impressed and suggested that I started a brand. That’s how Maaneh Millinery was born,” she recollects. Stating that Maaneh interprets to respect, honour, esteem and regard in Sanskrit, she associates the time period with the feeling a hat may evoke. “It’s like a crown,” she says.
Crafting methods
Shilpa couldn’t agree extra. “I have always been fascinated with crowns that our gods wear. That was the sub-conscious idea that sparked my curiosity about headgear. There’s this unsaid power in a head dress. I studied fashion, but I always struggled with seasons, rules, tailors. I am a more hands-on handicrafts person. Millinery is my canvas, where I can tell whatever story I want,” she says.
Shilpa tells her tales although hats utilizing unconventional supplies, from bangles to paper cones and rubber-slipper thongs to Plexiglas
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Shilpa does inform her tales by way of hats utilizing unconventional materials, from bangles to paper cones and rubber-slipper thongs to Plexiglas. “I sometimes use seven to eight different techniques and it requires knowhow of structural and architectural elements associated with millinery. These techniques include laser cutting, laser soldering, sometimes pieces are constructed with hot glue or held together with just wires. Millinery is like embroidery in the air,” she shares. Shilpa comes armed with a stable coaching in millinery, which she studied at Central Saint Martins, London, below the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship by the British Council and later interned with ace milliner Philip Treacy. Her largest takeaway: “Always turn the hat upside down and see what it looks like from the inside. Also, how well does the hat balance.” She provides that the solely cause she accepts an order on millinery is that if she is satisfied that it’s creatively enhancing, difficult.
Namrata Lodha, founder and head designer of Myaraa, a five-year-old luxurious hat model of India
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Most milliners are specific about the headgear’s base material. Namrata Lodha, founder and head designer of Myaraa, a five-year-old luxurious hat model of India, gravitates in the direction of pure, breathable choices. “We like raffia and wheat straw because they’re light, summery, and luxurious. When we’re looking for something with more structure and a timeless feel, we turn to vegan felt. If I had to choose a favourite, it would be straw,” says Namrata, who was initiated into hat making by a propitious trip in America. “I was visiting my son, who was planning a trip to the Bahamas with his wife. They had picked up a few hats for the vacation, and I asked them if I could embroider their names onto the hats. Later, their friends started asking if I could make some for them too. That’s how Myaraa came into being.”
Tuft Hat by Myaraa
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The model makes all its hats in India, in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. “Our production is seasonal. We wait for the wheat harvest to finish so we can use fresh straw. It’s a very organic process, rooted in the rhythms of the land. When I started Myaraa, I wanted to build more than just a brand; I wanted to create opportunities. So, I trained women from my town, many of whom had never done craft work before, and today they are the skilled artisans behind every piece. It’s a small, close-knit setup, but there’s so much heart that goes into every hat we create,” she provides.
The hatter’s toolkit
Tools utilized by Nirali for making intricate flowers utilizing French and Japanese methods
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Millinery is each, time-consuming and dexterous. Shilpa and Nirali confess to having spent days, typically even weeks to make only one piece. “I use a lot of Indian textiles and the collections are based on Pantone pigments. Sinamay abaca fibre fabric is the base material made out of banana plant, which is my preferred choice for the base fabric. I use French floral techniques on silk, organza, velvet and leather. Also, Japanese origami fabric and paper-flower-making techniques are used for various trims, alongside intricate feather work. My recent collection of fascinators is quite floral,” explains Nirali. She additionally factors at many fascinators that characteristic embellished mesh veil, with rhinestones, pearls and Swarovski. Her hats begin at ₹4,000 and may go upto ₹50,000. Maaneh Millinery operates out of a workshop-cum-studio in Ahmedabad, with Nirali joined by two assistants.
Actress Huma Qureshi in a fascinator designed by Nirali’s Maaneh Millinery
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The pricing of hats typically is determined by its creative worth that’s decided by the high quality of fabric used, structural detailing, labour and lots of different components. For Shilpa, it’s the technical knowhow. “I don’t use a mould for making hats, like most milliners, as I find it too restrictive. But I love experimenting with new materials, from plastic toys to mirrors and Swarovski. I work from home and with just two or three assistants,” she says. Her creations are priced above ₹10,000.
Shilpa is understood to have created headgear for assortment campaigns of ace fashion designers, like Sabyasachi, Boudicca, Tarun Tahiliani, Varun Bahl, Manish Arora, Manish Malhotra, and Wendell Rodricks. Myaraa is just not far behind. Last yr, Namrata’s model teamed up with fashion designer Payal Singal for The Blossom Collection of hats. “Each hat in this collection is a celebration of summer with floral embellishments, eco-friendly materials,” informs Namrata. A couple of years in the past, Myaraa had teamed up with Kate Stoltz, a New York-based designer. The model’s hats are priced between ₹1,999 and ₹11,799.
Fashion designer-cum-milliner
It must be fascinating to word that whereas prime milliners, like Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy, made hats for fashion designers and important popular culture icons, many distinguished fashion designers too turned well-known for his or her hat designs. The record consists of Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Lilly Daché. In India too, some fashion designers have taken to millinery — from Delna Poonawalla, Nitin Bal Chauhan and Nida Mahmood to Kunal Rawal and Ritu Beri. We spoke to Delhi-based couturier Urvashi Kaur, whose latest assortment ShinSei showcases bucket hats created from scrap material. “The hats are not knitted; they’re constructed using textile waste through patchwork technique. Each piece is reversible, and some include thread embroidery. We developed unique patchwork layouts that allowed us to use even the smallest kathran (fabric remnants) from the studio floor,” says Urvashi. The hats vary from ₹3,500 to ₹6,800.
Fashion designer Urvashi Kaur’s latest assortment ShinSei showcases bucket hats created from scrap material
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Many Indian apparel-and-accessory manufacturers have additionally began adding hats to their enterprise verticals. You might discover hats by Next, Chokore, which sells every kind of equipment from baggage to sneakers, Odette, which not too long ago ventured into millinery, or One Less, which, like Myaraa, can also be romancing raffia. Its founder Hansika Chhabria, who began One Less in 2021, has launched a vary of raffia hats.
Raffia hat by One Less
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“Made from segments of raffia palm trees, raffia is sourced from Madagascar. The fibre became popular in 2022 and it is here to stay. We included hats in our brand in 2023 and have only crafted them from either organic cotton or raffia because One Less promotes sustainable fashion and is committed to minimising environmental impact,” says Hansika.
While sustainability appeals to Hansika, Mamta Roy, founding father of Odette, pivots on selection. The model presents solar hats, bucket hats, wide-brimmed hats, berets, cloche hats, basic pillbox hats and fascinators beginning at ₹960. “Our hat-making process combines both traditional and contemporary techniques to create unique and exquisite pieces. We use hand-blocking to shape the hats, followed by stitching and embroidery to add intricate details. There’s appliqué work and beading too,” says Mamta, of her five-year-old model.
Odette presents solar hats, bucket hats, wide-brimmed hats, berets, cloche hats, basic pillbox hats and fascinators
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Shilpa has not launched a new assortment since 2018, and is now mixing millinery with filmmaking. Namrata and Nirali haven’t any such plans. “We’ve seen about a 30% to 35% increase in sales year-on-year, especially as people travel more and experiment with personal style,” says Namrata. Maaneh Millinery too has recorded a 20% rise in gross sales. “The biggest challenge for a milliner in India is changing perceptions. Hats haven’t been part of everyday modern fashion here, most people see them as something just for vacations or weddings. Educating the market and making hats feel relevant to Indian lifestyles has taken time,” says Namrata about the challenges that milliners like her have weathered to paint the panorama of India’s fashion trade with vibrant hues.
