In Milan, «The Queen’s Hat» brings eleven hat designers from all over the world to celebrate the art of contemporary millinery
In the history of fashion, there is an accessory that has left its mark perhaps more than any other. An accessory that distinguishes, communicates, seduces. Let’s talk about the hat, which returns to the center of the Milanese scene from 20 to 22 March with the third edition of «The Queen’s Hat», an international exhibition dedicated to the art of contemporary millinery and hosted in the spaces of Residenza Vignale.
The event is conceived and curated by the journalist and fashion manager Gabriella Chiarappaand organized by Le Salon de la Mode in collaboration with Musikologiamo, with the patronage of the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan. It’s not a fair. It’s not a market. It is something more subtle: an attempt to give the hat back its dimension as a work to be worn, where craftsmanship, research into materials and creative vision meet in an explosion of creativity and elegance.
The value of «The Queen’s Hat»
Eleven hat designers from different countries around the world are the protagonists of the exhibition. Israel, Canada, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Brazil, Russia, England, United States, and of course Italy with Ilaria Soncini: a “geography of the hat” that tells how this tradition is still alive, and how much it has been able to reinvent itself without losing its roots.
The dialogue between artisanal savoir-faire and contemporary experimentation is the true theme of the event. This is not nostalgia, nor pure avant-garde. No, the contemporary hat lives in an intermediate space, one in which traditional technique encounters new materials and languages, and is enriched by them.
There is a detail that probably explains the newfound centrality of this accessory better than many speeches. Among the pieces on display is the dress with hat and veil worn by Patty Pravo on the red carpet of Sanremo Festival 2026a creation by stylist Simone Folco. A piece that has already been in the spotlight of one of the most followed events in Italy, but which in Milan has the possibility of becoming a further object of reflection and contemplation.
What does the exhibition include?
The exhibition opens on Friday 20 March at 3pm with the round table «Hats in motion: the evolution of a style icon». This will be followed by «Scatti in Cornice», a photographic set dedicated to the designers’ creations, and a masterclass on the art of wearing a hat led by the image expert Pablo Ardizzone.
Finally, Sunday will host the awards ceremony, with three singular awards: The Queen’s Hat Award for the creation that best interprets elegance and tradition in the iconic style of Queen Elizabeth II; the Hat in Motion Award, dedicated to Olympic-inspired movement and energy; the Innovation Award, for those who experiment with new materials and languages.
The exhibition itinerary also includes the Seven Jewels Collection by Maison Lumiéra, seven fragrances inspired by precious gems, and a selection of furniture by Pliny the YoungerItalian design handcrafted. BioDesign Foundation is also present with the «All Together Now – The Custodians Plastic Race» project, an initiative by founder Roberto Guerini dedicated to environmental protection.
Entrance is free, with the aim of broadening the audience and, with it, also the conversation on the value of artisan culture. In a historical moment in which fashion increasingly seems to talk about inaccessible luxury, «The Queen’s Hat» chooses the opposite path. It doesn’t give up elegance, far from it. He shares it.
