The HAT archive opens the door to the world of ‘HATS’ exploring, learning and understanding how all those involved, from small milliners to international manufacturers, from designers, buyers and retailers work together to bring this crafted accessory ‘to your door’. The archive contains a fascinating snapshot of a worldwide industry as it worked, for over 18 years from 1999 to 2017, throughout the renaissance of the couture milliner and the demise of the large hat manufacturer.

Set up by the Denford’s, following 18 years retailing with six specialist hat shops, they found the headwear industry so lacking in information that ‘on a whim’ Carole decided to set up the first international, contemporary journal for hats. Issue 1 was written ‘by hand’ and delivered to a friend, who transformed the information for a local printer, it was also in black and white as it was far cheaper to produce. Until Issue 15 we had no digital cameras, just rolls and rolls of negatives, no modern computers, a rather slow internet and definitely NO social media (like the dark ages!).