Pillbox van zwart fluweel, versierd met gevouwen grosgrain, met bijpassende hoedenspeld met bol van zwart fluweel after 1953

This velvet pillbox hat with grosgrain trim, along with a matching hat pin was made by Max Heymans. It reminds me of making something, not just wearing it. It is so soft! This piece is so tactile, the way the velvet just absorbs light, you almost want to reach out and touch it, right? The circular grosgrain detail at the front is such an evocative form. It's like the hat sprouted a little dark flower. And then you notice the pin on the side - that is such a beautifully casual interruption, this flash of metal. It makes me think this hat has a life of its own. I think of Elsa Schiaparelli, she loved to play with form and expectation, and this piece has that same playful irreverence. It reminds us that art is about dialogue and transformation, not just fixed statements.