Spread from Vogue, April 15, 1965. Mr. John hat is on the left. Source: On Pins and Needles
I picked up an awesome orange hat by Mr. John the other day
not knowing much about the designer. After doing some research, I realized what
a great find this really was! Mr. John, whose given name was John Harberger,
was a milliner who started his own hat line in the early ‘50s that was favored
by celebrities and film stylists. According to Mr. John’s New York Times obituary (he passed away in 1993), his hats were worn by the Duchess of
Windsor, Gloria Vanderbilt, Lauren Bacall and Joan Crawford, and also appeared on
Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind, Marlene
Dietrich in Shanghai Express, Greta
Garbo in The Painted Veil and Marilyn
Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Not too shabby! Mr. John’s hats also appeared in many fashion spreads,
including the above photo from a 1965 issue of Vogue. I also love this New York
Times quote about his designs: “In the 1940's and 1950's, the name Mr. John was
as famous in the world of hats as Christian Dior was in the realm of haute
couture. At a time when other milliners were piling on flowers, feathers and
tulle, Mr. John was stripping hats naked, relying on pure shape for effect.” Here
are some of my favorite photos that I found of Mr. John creations including the
style below that will be listed in the shop this week!
Miss Sweeden Anita Ekberg wearing a Mr. John veiled hat in 1951. Photo from Fans in a Flashbulb.
All from the Powerhouse Museum collection
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