Planet Berlin: Keeping your hat on
English milliner Fiona Bennett has since 1999 designed and produced a signature range of globally-renowned headwear at her Tiergarten "hat palace."
Born to create
Born in Brighton, England, Fiona Bennett has lived in Berlin since the 1970s. She grew up in Charlottenburg and from a young age showed a desire to work creatively. She later learned traditional milliner techniques during a three-year hatmaking apprenticeship in Kreuzberg.
From summer strolls to weddings
Light straw hats for the summer, elegant yet informal men's hats, couture for the lady, creations for special occasions, such as weddings: Fiona Bennett offers an individual solution for every taste and type. In the gallery, they balance on stands and hang on magnets in the air.
Select clientele
In the milliner studio that turned 20 this year, hats are shaped and sewn, feathers and flowers fixed and adjusted. Each high-end hat is handmade over several days. The news has got around, with limousines sometimes bringing celebrities to Fiona Bennett's door. Christina Aguilera, Yoko Ono, Hugh Jackman and Brad Pitt are among her customers.
All good things come from above
Bennett and her staff at the Hut-Palast work according to two maxims: "All good things come from above;" and "So many hats and only one head." The preparation and realization of a new collection takes several months.