Q: How did you get to designing hats?

I began in South Africa with my own fashion label, winning a Coty Award as the country’s top designer, and I came to New York in 1989 to work for a clothing brand. True to opera (which I love), life was surprising! The clothing job didn’t work out, but I had a chance to study millinery with Janine Galimard, who’d worked with Cristobel Balenciaga, which led here.

Q: What are the hallmarks of an Albertus Swanepoel hat?

Almost everything is handmade in my studio, combining sophisticated, time-honoured techniques with expressive contemporary styling. No two hats are ever the same because I craft with vintage materials and trims, fabrics found around the world, and techniques like hand dyeing, bleaching and embroidery.

I want people to enjoy my designs for a long time (I actually like seeing my hats battered from being worn), so I focus on super high quality materials and shapes that are flattering and easy to wear, such as Fedoras, cloches, Western and bucket hats.

Altogether, it’s about being handmade (not homemade), witty (not funny) and nowadays (not nostalgic).

Q: Your namesake collection sells in the US, London, and Tokyo. How do you balance handcraft, A-list designer shows and big brand collabs?

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with incredible designers over the years and that experience and inspiration gave me confidence to enter the 2008 Vogue CFDA Fashion Fund Awards. Vogue was a great inspirer and being placed Runner-up changed everything. I collaborated with The Gap and the next thing I knew my hats were on Times Square billboards. Work for shows, shoots and special commissions is intensive and expensive to produce, so I’ve enjoyed collaborating with The Gap, Target, J Crew, Club Monaco, Stetson and Bench Department Stores in the Philippine’s. Personal expression and ease should be available to as many people as possible.

7 Things to know about Albertus Swanepoel

1. Designers with whom Albertus has collaborated for runway shows include (in alphabetical order): Costello Tagliapietra, DKNY, Perry Ellis, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, MARC By Marc Jacobs, Nathan Jenden, Betsey Johnson, Ulla Johnson, Billy Reid, Narciso Rodriquez, Ohne Titel, Proenza Schouler, Peter Som, Suno, Thakoon, Diane Von Furstenburg, Alexander Wang.

2. His designs are extensively featured in international editions of Vogue, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and many more.

3. His awards include Runner-up in the 2008 Vogue CFDA Fashion Fund Awards; Top Accessory Designer Award at 2010 African Fashion International Fashion Week; Most Stylish Designer at the 2014 South African Style Awards, and nominations for the 2009 Swarovski CFDA Accessory Awards and the WGSN Fashion Awards. He is a University of Pretoria Laureate Alumni.

4. The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism, a book co-created by actor Kate Winslet and Margret Ericsdottir to raise autism awareness, features an Albertus Swanepoel hat as worn by 100 celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Elton John, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Jodie Foster and Justin Timberlake.

5. An Albertus Swanepoel design featured at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in the exhibition ‘Hats, an Anthology’ curated by millinery icon Stephen Jones.

6. Albertus’ abiding interests range from opera to series binges, African craft to contemporary design, safaris in the African wild to homey meals in the Manhattan apartment he shares with his life and business partner, Eddie Marquez.  

7. His cat, Pooks, gets her own separate, stellar mention as the last word in all things — which is as it should be.

   
   Text: Pnina Fenster.