MILLINERY
shionseems tobesingle-mindedlyobsessedwith
ustainabilityat thismomentin time(andrightlyso),
uttheconversationtendstobeverybig-picture.
ttentionoftengoestohowluxuryconglomerates
ndfast-fashiongiantscanclean uptheir carbon
hile less is said about how smaller brands are
adapting.ForHelenKaminski,theluxuryAustralianhatmaker
whichhascultivateda loyalfanbasesincethe’80s,transform-
ingthebrandintoa sustainablebusiness
hasbecomea mainfocusin recentyears.
“Traditionally, hatmakers use fur to
createtheirmostpremiumfelthats,but
that’snolongeranoptionforus,”says
thebrand’sheadof design,PernilleSejer.
Thesearchforethicallysourcedfuralter-
nativesledSejertoanunexpectedpart-
nershipwithnonprofitTheWoolmark
Companyforthelatestcollection.“We
neededanelevatedethicalandsustaina-
ble option for our winter collection,”
Sejer explains. “We worked with our
partners tofinda materialcomparable
insoftnessandfinessetofur,andpure
merinowoolwastheobviousanswer.”
‘Slowfashion’hasbeenat theheartof
the Helen Kaminski philosophy since
the brand’s inception,whenits name-
sake designer (she has since left the
label)handmaderaffiahatsto protect
herschool-agedchildrenfromtheharsh
Australiansun.Artisanshipremainskey—it’swhat
hasattracteda slewofglobaladmirersandinterna-
tional fashion stockists,as well as brands such as
AlbusLumen,whichpartneredwithHelenKamin-
skiona rangeofraffiahatsandtoteslastyear.
TheA/W 2019 collection—whichlaunchedwith
a super-chiceventat theBarunahPlainsmerinofarm
inVictoria—is outnow.Refinedandminimal,the
range includeseight women’sstylesand sixmen’s,
rangingfromsimplefedorasin variouscolourways to
wide-brimmed styles in feminine blush tones. DANIEL NADELThebrandhasfordecades
beentheculthatmakerto
Hollywood(AngelinaJolie
andAmalClooneyarefans),
butastheclimatecrisis
rampsup,HelenKaminski
pivotstosustainability.
By Grace O’NeillINTERVENTION
A shearingdemo
at Barunah Plains.HelenKaminski’smerino
collection.Above:ModelKana
Oya,in a HelenKaminski‘Cardi’
hatfromthenewcollection,at
Barunah Plains in Victoria.
Streetstyle
photographer
Karl-Edwin
Guerrein a
HelenKaminski
‘Carraway’ hat.68 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU December 2019
TheBUZZ