W 86th St – Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones

Weather.com forecasts that we will be basking in this autumnal sun for the next week. How incredible is that?! Break out your favorite fall topper and head uptown for Hats: An Anthology at Bard Graduate Center. While you’re there, have a bagel bomb and a quick jaunt through the park.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones comes to us after a wildly successful run at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Whether you’re into vintage accessories, historical artifacts, sculptural design, hats worn by celebrities or millinery in general, there is guaranteed to be at least one hat that makes you think, “Well, this was worth the trip alone.” Roberta Smith from the NYTimes is gaga over an 18th-century feather topper. Highlights for me are Elsa Schiaparelli’s Shoe hat, an Egyptian fez from the 12th century, Babe Ruth’s baseball cap and this Balenciaga green straw number. Which hat is your favorite? 

According to Jones, a celebrated milliner himself, “Almost all hats are surrealist. I think there’s very few hats that aren’t. Something about putting something on your head immediately puts it in a different dimension.” Indeed, Jones’ deep understanding of the function of the hat is the core strength of this expertly curated show. Inspiration. Creation. Salon. Client. We get a rich taste of it all.

Feeding off of Jones’ innovative energy, stop by Momofuku Milk Bar for a cucumber-dill Bagel Bomb. (H & H reincarnate?) Then, head to Central Park! If you're short on time, just cross the street, take a step in and breath deeply. Then, continue along your way...

Ingredients:

Venue: Bard Graduate Center Gallery

Artists: Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Various Artists

Streets: W 86th St, Central Park West – Columbus Ave

Eats: Momofuku Milk Bar

Map: