Cinematic hats in the spotlight
New show looks at headgear in the movies
18 August, 16:33
(ANSA) - Montappone - The transformational power of hats in filmmaking is celebrated in an unusual new exhibition in this eastern Italian town.
The event in Montappone, a renowned centre of Italian hatmaking, showcases dozens of hats that have played memorable parts in movies.
Discussing the capacity of hats to entirely transform someone's appearance, the organizer of the exhibition, Giuliano De Minicis, explained their pull on the public. "As children, a shabby hat on our heads and a towel draped across our shoulders transforms us into knights, princes, pirates and princesses," he said. "We are all little costume designers for ourselves as kids, dressing our dreams and our fantasies.
"But some of these children go on to become costume designers for real, transforming such characters into emotions that everyone can access". Two of Johnny Depp's well-known accessories are on show: the top-hat he wore as Willy Wonka in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) and his pirate tricorne as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates Of The Caribbean film series.
Three of the fantastically elaborate headdresses donned by Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's 2006 film are also on display. Italian costume designer Milena Canonero, who dreamed up the designs, won one of her three Oscars for this movie. Headgear from older films includes Burt Lancaster's top-hat from Luchino Visconti's 1963 production of The Leopard, a hat worn by Richard Burton in The Taming of The Shrew (1967) and the military cap donned by Farley Granger in the 1954 movie Senso.
Although there is a predominance of creations by Italian designers, the exhibition also features headgear created by a number of international costume makers. Jacques Fonteray's legendarily kitsch designs for the 1968 cult classic Barbarella are on display, alongside Gaelle Allen's more sober 1940s creations for Life Is Beautiful (1997) and Sandy Powell's 19th-century urbanwear dreamed up for Gangs of New York (2002). Entitled I Cappelli del Cinema (Cinema Hats), the exhibition is on show in Montappone until September 26.
photo: Depp as Willy Wonka in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
