Mad Hatters’ Party

In the West,designers like Alexander McQueen and Phillip Treacy did their bit to make the hat a modish accessory,but in India it has never figured very highly on even the most inveterate fashionista’s list of must-haves. Now a few Indian designers are trying their hand at giving the hat a sartorial tweak and making it the style statement for the adventurous. Take,for instance,designer Shilpa Chavan,whose funky headgear,ranging from bonnets to topis,has everything from feathers to buttons as embellishments. Chavan,trained in London’s renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and having worked with Treacy,has a touch of the whimsical in her repertoire. “The idea is to wear something that works as a perfect complement to your outfit,” says the designer,whose products are priced between Rs 4,000 and Rs 50,000,depending on the materials she uses.

Designer Nida Mahmood extends her love for all things kitschy to headgear. There are hats with street typography on them,some others are made from scraps and signboards. “I take unconventional elements and make it look funky on an item of dressing that is not essentially in our culture,” she says. Meanwhile,designer Kunal Rawal in Mumbai has worked on a range of trucker hats,military berets,cane fedoras and even Nehru caps that have just a hint of the quirky in them to set them apart from the rest. Ritu Beri is known for dressing up the swish set in hats made of French lace and a hint of embroidery,while designer Sanchita Ajjampur’s resort wear comes replete with chic floppy hats,equally at ease in Goa as in Miami.

So when did the hats make their way in to the Indian fashionista’s wardrobe? “Earlier I had a very clear distinction between the fashionable hats— the off-beat ones I showed on the ramp and which didn’t sell much — and the functional ones,like the trucker hats,which have a steady market round the year. In the last couple of years though,there’s been a change in the scene. The Mumbai races have seen the ladies sport headgear similar to those worn at the Derby or the Ascot. There are a lot more of polo matches in Delhi and Mumbai too. The scope’s improved,” says Rawal,whose headgear is priced between Rs 1,800 and 12,000.

Even if socialites like Natasha and Delna Poonawala have made quirky hats chic,the market still remains niche. Chauhan says the busiest time is usually during autumn-winter,when the city comes alive with parties.

“People hosting theme parties come looking for something offbeat.

In fact,those are the times the installation pieces work too,” he says. Mahmood prices her head gear modestly,between Rs 500 for hair bands and hair attachments to Rs 3,000 for hats. “I have a mass-market approach to these,” she says. Perhaps right for a summer’s day.