Philippe Model

Label and name of the milliner most loved by designers. Born in Sens, France in 1956. After graduating he learnt to make hats and leather accessories using scraps from his family’s tannery. He was later taught by Denise Frère, a pattern maker for Maison Riva Marchesi and he was apprenticed to the celebrated Madame Paulette. He launched his designer label in 1981 despite the declining trend for hats, and he found enthusiastic allies in designers like Gaultier, Mugler, Miyake, and Montana. At the same time he launched a range of gloves, bags, and shoes. He opened his own boutique in Paris in 1984.