Vancouver: Have hat, will travel
I call my FASHION Magazine blog Zeitgeist! with the intention of speaking to the spirit of the times. What I love about living in this day and age is that it is almost impossible to get dressed without juxtaposing different styles. Inspiration from eras long ago and cultures far and wide creep into our subconscious as readily as into our closets. The splendor of style spontaneity has made pastiche our prerogative. But nothing stirs the imagination quite like a hat, perhaps because it sits on the top of our head.
Berlin-born, Vancouver-based milliner, Claudia Schulz, looks down a long history of European hat culture to inform her simple yet striking designs. As I cruise through the archived collections on her website (claudiaschulz.com), I can’t help but consider the influence of Paul Poiret and the 1920s cloche hat. However, I think Schulz’s designs extend even a bit further into modernism with a touch of Pierre Cardin’s ultra-mod 1960s helmet cap. Anyone?
Regardless, Schulz keeps her design aesthetic classically minimalist, redefining accent details to create charming hats that are entirely wearable. Claudia Schulz hats are available at Mooncruise Gallery in Gastown (235 Cambie St., 604-685-9575, mooncruisegallery.com).
