Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Design and Architecture

    Design and Architecture

    Hats Are Turning Heads Again

    It used to be that nobody went bareheaded; now most people do. But hats are making a comeback. And one reason for that might be Philip Treacy. He is the designer and hand-maker of extraordinary headgear for the likes of Lady Gaga and members of the Royal family.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Frances Anderton • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    It used to be that nobody went bareheaded; now most people do. But hats are making a comeback. And one reason for that might be Philip Treacy. He is the designer and hand-maker of extraordinary headgear for the likes of Lady Gaga and members of the Royal family. The Irish-born designer was in Los Angeles last week for Britweek, and Frances caught up with him at a party at the new Christopher Guy showroom in West Hollywood. Treacy, who grew up in a large Irish family, says Hollywood was his primary influence. Treacy mentions that ten years ago Americans thought the very notion of hat design was odd. Now he says, not so much. This dovetails with the experience of Frank Strauss, who back in 2000 came up with the idea of opening a hat store. Frances visited him at Fedora Primo, on Pier Avenue in Ocean Park, Santa Monica.

    Frank Strauss, owner of Fedora Primo; photo by Bennett Stein

    Fedora Primo in Santa Monica; photo by Bennett Stein

    Top image: Hat by Philip Treacy

    The full episode

    2 of 4
    Hats and High Culture, Reconsidered
    1. 0:00Opera Reaches New Audiences
    2. 9:49Hats Are Turning Heads AgainYou’re reading this
    3. 20:27Remembering Vidal Sassoon
    4. 25:39Design a Sound Booth for 'Sonic Trace'
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • KCRW placeholder

      Philip Treacy

      Milliner

    • KCRW placeholder

      Frank Strauss

      Owner of Fedora Primo

      Culture

    The full episode

    2 of 4
    Hats and High Culture, Reconsidered
    1. 0:00Opera Reaches New Audiences
    2. 9:49Hats Are Turning Heads AgainYou’re reading this
    3. 20:27Remembering Vidal Sassoon
    4. 25:39Design a Sound Booth for 'Sonic Trace'
    Back to Design and Architecture