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In case you haven’t heard, we’re in the middle of a ’90s redux. Ryan Murphy’s Love Story has plenty of women taking to TikTok to revamp their wardrobe with vintage Calvin Klein and pledging to sow their own downtown Carolyn Bessette Kennedy oats. On last night’s Actor Awards red carpet (formerly known as the SAG Awards), Emma Stone’s lilac Louis Vuitton reopened the case for a simple slip dress and matching cardigan. However, a curious counter-trend—one that began in New York and is now being cemented by the opening day of Paris Fashion Week—is simultaneously occurring. Call them fascinating fascinators, cozy caps for winter, or an homage to Vivacious’s shady headpiece “Ornacia” on season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but statement headwear is making a splash across many of this season’s runways.
Some might call the emergence of such a unique, and potentially frivolous, statement accessory a byproduct of “aura farming,” a term describing those who subtly drive attention to themselves to increase their own allure. Designer Julie Kegels considered as much when interrogating how clothing has the power to change physical perceptions. This was done in part with raccoon robber masks, some in black, others in striking pink and white, and elsewhere saw shrunken caps. All were mechanisms of mystique that added to the shifting obscurities of today’s digital avatar age. Designer Daniel de Valle of The Vxlley opened his fall collectsion “The Narcissist” with a similar masquerade.
Conversely, Hodakova used its avant-garde creations to reflect on the identity of a “true self.” There was no cello-humanoid in this season’s so called “conventional collectsion,” though designer Ellen Larsson did rest a wooden contraption atop a model’s shoulders while shredded violin strings fell down over his face, drawing the eye to his bare torso and simple suit trousers. Elsewhere, the self was less shrouded in intrigue. The idea of reflection was expressed quite literally, as one model in a stark white strapless dress held a mirror to either side of her face. Such refraction gave little opportunity for any unflattering angle to hide, and perhaps represented the opposite end of the cyber spectrum.
Meanwhile, Vaquera went full throttle. The romance of the bird-cage veiled opening look was unsurprisingly and quickly shed. Designers Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee were seemingly pillbox-pilled, but gave the currently oversaturated shape a riotous Vaquera twist. The style was pulled down and cut out, more fitting for a Spring Breakers reboot than a Charade one.
Others have taken a more classic approach. Jacquemus, ever the dramatic headwear impresario, leaned into sculptural French-girl allure. In New York, Michael Kors celebrated glamour with a night at the opera and a feathered mushroom cap to match. In Milan, Louise Trotter’s sophomore outing at Bottega Veneta reprised her debut’s wispy creations in the form of off-kilter berets, though her knit skull caps gave a cozy balance to her Milanese woman, and Moschino’s bunny-eared pillbox hat was simply joyous.
While inspirations may be varied, the sudden influx of fabulous headgear doesn’t need to be too complex. In many cases, the accessory is attention grabbing, yes, but its presence isn’t a gimmick to drive clicks. There’s no big stunt, but in this minimalist world, a good hat will always be a statement.
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