Hoed in een platte petvorm van rood laken en aan de zijkanten met zwart "gekreukeld" fluweel in twee driehoeken, aan één kant met speld met rode laken knop, rode veer c. 1935 - 1937

Curator: This fetching headpiece from the mid-1930s, attributed to Hut Laco, is crafted from red felted wool and adorned with black velvet and a flamboyant feather. What strikes you about its construction? Editor: It's intriguing! I'm curious about how the choice of materials-- the smooth, dense felt juxtaposed with the textured velvet and then the light, airy feather—how that affects its overall statement? Curator: Precisely. Let’s think about the textile industry and available technologies at that time. Red felted wool, a durable material, points to both functionality and a certain social status— suggesting it may have been widely available to the bourgeoisie. Yet the inclusion of velvet, albeit “gekreukeld,” speaks to a desire for refinement and ornamentation and probably consumption patterns of that time. What kind of labour was involved in these particular embellishments? Editor: So you are wondering whether this choice reflects a specific class aspiration or perhaps limitations? Did the use of mass-produced materials democratize fashion or just create new tiers of exclusivity? Curator: Both! And don’t forget about the production and availability of these particular types of dyes as a material factor of art production. Consider the exploitation within that. Think of the work required to produce even a relatively "simple" design. The design process and its production impacts the culture of the era. The feather, the velvet - what stories can we weave about that? Editor: That’s a fantastic point. Looking at it through the lens of material production really shifts my understanding. I initially saw just an attractive hat, but now I see the embedded history of labor and class. Curator: Exactly! Seeing the sum of parts that make up the aesthetic result lets us trace supply chain history while also understanding individual design decisions. A closer view always leads to something new.