Hoed van groen gaas met anjers en bladeren daarop gelijmd c. 1955 - 1957

This hat, made of green mesh with glued-on carnations and leaves, was crafted by Maison de Bonneterie. It's hard to put a date on it, but the method of applying these elements seems playful, experimental even, a bit like how I approach painting. The texture is crucial here. You can almost feel the stiff netting and the papery feel of the artificial flowers. Note how the carnations are packed tightly together, their pale petals creating a sort of topographical map across the surface. Then there’s the green mesh underneath, peeking through in places, giving a sense of depth and shadow. I’m thinking about the work of Ree Morton, who used similar craft materials to create these wildly expressive sculptures. Like Morton’s, this hat embraces its materials, lets them be what they are, but elevates them into something unexpected and strange. A hat that’s less about fashion and more about pure, unadulterated imagination.