Melbourne is a city of hat lovers

Hats off to milliner

Melbourne is a city of hat lovers, from the wintery berets and fedoras to the feathery creations for race season.

As a finishing touch to any outfit, adding colour and interest, hats surely add an air of sophistication to any outing.

However, more than just merely head-wear, designer hats can also be seen as sculptural items, none more artful than Melbourne’s loved milliner Paris Kyne. In an exhibition showing off the city’s love of hats, Paris is showcasing his handcrafted headpieces in the lobby of Crown Promenade Hotel in June.

The exhibition ‘Warped, Twisted and then Wrapped’ highlights the way in which the hats were made, sculpted from wire frames, twisted and then covered in braid.

“With this exhibition I wanted to use as few materials as possible. Any shape is possible by using your imagination and by simply changing the shape and colour of a work and using variations that are only vaguely related.” Paris said.

The wire techniques create fantastic shapes – simple and structured to not appear overpowering, or too heavy for headpieces.

“Over the years I have done mountains of wirework, including the Moomba crowns for King Molly Meldrum and Queen Kate Ceberano in 2010. It had been ten years since we had a King and Queen of Moomba.” Paris said.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from Tuesday 19 June – Thursday 5 July 2012 at Crown Promenade Hotel.