Appendix™ Magazine Online

Interview by Mikaela Edri. Photography by Loui Wang.

Hat designer Elisabeth Koch runs her millinery in Beijing, China. Appendix paid her a visit in the combined studio and apartment to talk about how a hat comes about, creative family members and cork pot stands. Her home is literally a piece of Holland shipped to China with old-fashioned, dark wood furniture, a stuffed Dutch bird in a glass box, a pretty tea set and other interesting items for the curious to lay its eyes on.

The first question will have to be “Why hats?”

I get asked this a lot, and I always answer, “Why not hats?”. There is so much we can do with hats, they are the icing on the cake. People do tend to care about clothes, shoes, handbags, maybe some jewelry but few then also think, “What about the hat?”. The hat is not an accessory that is necessary like shoes and pretty-much a handbag, it’s an extra like jewelry and nail polish, perfume and make-up, but the right hat absolutely makes the outfit complete.

There is often an old-fashioned elegance about women’s hats. Do you fancy a certain period in history? And what would women dress like in a world according to Elisabeth?

Hats are indeed so elegant and chic, I love many periods in hat-history: 1900’s, 1920’s, 1940’s, 1960’s – just beautiful. In a world according to me, women would obviously wear hats to match their outfits and perfectly suitable for the occasion in question. There are certain hats one should wear with certain outfits for a wedding, cocktail party, dinner party, opening, reception, national celebrations. Everything must be taken in to consideration: Where is the event? What is the weather like? What will you wear? Who will be there? Is the dinner sit-down or buffet? is the wedding outside, in a church, elsewhere? Do you have an important function at this event? Is there a chance of rain? Everything, everything must be know for the perfect hat for the right event!

What does your design process look like?

For my ready-to-wear collections, I come up with an idea, then I can’t stop until it’s finished. I used to sketch hats but now I just dive into the making process. Cutting, sewing, stitching, measuring, as long as I have the right materials and colors in stock, I’ll just keep going. For commissioned pieces I cannot just do what i want, I need to check witch client between steps to make sure the hat is going in the right direction. Also I like to give clients options so I show them all the variations I can make to their unfinished hat.

You also sell a range of vintage hats in the collection Privée. What is the appeal of vintage hats to you? Where did you pick up all those pieces?

I love vintage hats for inspiration. Also I simply collect them to have. Many are not for sale and dealing in vintage hats is not my core business. I find them all over the US and Europe. I put them on my site as a kind of documentation of my vintage collection.

Finally, is there anything you would like to say to the readers of Appendix?

My hats have been worn by Zhang ZiYi, Zhou Xun, Mo WanDan, Na Ying, Li XinJie, Li BingBing, Chen Hao, Elva Hsiao, Wang LuoDan, Lin ZhiLing, Lu Yan, Miao Pu not to mention Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and others.

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