Men in Hats: a time to come
Men in Hats is more than a stage production, which was produced in 2011 and performed at the Cleveland Playhouse; it is a way of life!! This is an all-about-men-forum to share and discuss men wearing less traditional head-wear.
I am a milliner/hatter myself, saw a great need for men to express themselves. Times are changing, and men are changing with it. What better way to express this change: Hats. Wild, Flamboyant, Decorative, Ornate hats. This is a group milliners, hatters, and those who love wearing hats to come together and share. Many of you are strictly designers of women’s hats. I’ve always asked myself, “Why in current times do most to all male designers cater to the fashion trend of women?” Answer: women have more fun!!!! It is my goal and dream that all the talented creative men designers can design exciting fun whimsical hats for their male clients. Then, off to the races!!! This is the ongoing study; research and development of men shedding tradition, explore and gradually incorporate fresh creative wears. The current trend in expressive fashion caters to women, in both body-wear and head-wear. Men in Hats came to fruition in 2010 during a photo shoot at Coleman Photography Studio. We were gathered in the, documenting my new line of men’s fur felt hats. The male models where Butch Armstrong, Fred Collins, Michael Barrick, and myself. Lisa K. Lock, dancer/choreographer and wife of Larry Coleman had joined in observation of the shoot. As the shoot progressed, Lisa put on her art direction hat and began directing the shoot. At the end of the session I mentioned to Lisa how I would like for the two of us to join forces in a creative venture. It didn’t take Lisa very long to engage the call for artistic opportunity at the Cleveland Playhouse. FusionFest 2011 was in search for artistic fusion for the upcoming festival. Lisa convinced me to collaborate with her. “Men in Hats” it was so called, thus giving the production it’s name. Men in Hats, the production was all about hats. The thesis centered on the magic and power of the hat and the ability for it to change lives. The play begins with men posed as mannequins were brought to life by the hat fairy, whose hat emporium contained all the magical hats. As the men began to explore and wear the variety of hats, they began to change. As the hats became colorful, decorative and ornate, the men became freer.
Thus, the concept of Men in Hats was born; though this ideology of free expression for men has been with me for quite some time. This new Facebook group: Men in Hats will hopefully give men a platform to wear, share, and create exciting hats for men.
So, please join in with questions and if you find a man wearing a wild hat, post it on the page. We can discuss methods of making men more comfortable wearing expressive hats. Why should women have all the fun?
