Misa Harada
‘F for forte’
A bicorne-inspired sculptural headpiece.
In memory of the late Shirley Hex, my millinery mentor, I wanted to create the hat using one of the Spartrie shapes I made with Shirley back in my Royal College days.
Spartrie is a traditional natural fabric used to make shapes for hats, which are then made into wooden blocks. I wanted to honour this shape-making technique and show its beauty most effectively.
Price: £820.
Materials and Techniques
Made with open weave raffia fabric, handblocked, wired, and trimmed with hand-made silk roses.
Millinery Heritage
“While studying fashion design at the Surrey Institute of Art, I was taught hat-making by the legendary Shirley Hex, who completely hooked me on the magic of millinery. Shirley was teaching Philip Treacy at the Royal College of Art then and encouraged me to pursue my studies there.
Shirley Hex has worked in several couture houses since the ’40s as a head milliner to the couturiers, creating hats for the Royal Wedding. She was always very enthusiastic about working with new materials and open to new ideas. I would love to pass on my knowledge and heritage of what I have learnt over the years to the next generation.”
About Misa Harada
Japanese-born and a Royal College of Art graduate, Misa Harada launched her career in 1998 after creating for the British Royal Family.
Misa’s esteemed brand is renewed for its functionality and ornate elegance hybrid. Her main goal is to encourage more people to wear hats on any occasion.
By 2002, the Misa Harada label was stocked internationally and caught the attention of artists such as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. Other notable names Misa designed include Jennifer Aniston, The Rolling Stones and the TV series ‘Sex in the City’. Her unique stylisation of traditional millinery has been championed by former collaborators Thierry Mugler, Yohji Yamamoto and Bora Aksu.
In 2023, Misa created various headpieces for Beyonce’s Renaissance tour.
Her collections are regularly featured in international fashion publications and sold in over 100 retail outlets across fifteen countries.