Fall is officially here! After the autumnal equinox on September 22, the days get shorter and the nights get longer. Even in Los Angeles, there is sometimes a chilly bite in the air. Naturally, we've got to start dressing for the weather--coats, sweaters, scarves and hats are on the agenda. In honor of the changing season, today's post features an early 1970s felt hat by Adolfo.
Adolfo
c. 1973
Gift of Anonymous Donor
99.40.1
Though Adolfo (b. 1933) once claimed that he “never enjoyed making hats,” they were his entrée into the fashion industry.1 Born in Cuba, Adolfo Sardinia immigrated to New York in 1948. Almost immediately after his arrival in New York, Adolfo began work as an apprentice milliner at Bergdorf-Goodman. For the next decade, Adolfo toggled between Paris, where he apprenticed for both Balenciaga and Chanel, and New York, where he worked as a hat designer for Emme Inc. In 1962, Adolfo opened a New York millinery salon where he designed made-to-order hats for individual clients and ready-to-wear hats for retail distribution. He soon expanded his business into custom clothing, designing for socialites C.Z. Guest, Nancy Reagan, Betsy Bloomingdale, the Duchess of Windsor and others.