HAT LEGEND ANN ALBRIZIO PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK

The headwear industry has lost one of its most ardent hat designers and hat legends, Ann Albrizio. Albrizio’s headwear career spanned 70 years and included a millinery teaching career at FIT and a well-known headwear business called Albrizio Hat.

Ann started making hats when she was 16-years-old (her father was a hat blocker) and in 1928 went to work in the theatre district for Mr. Sal. Her sister married the owner (Salvatore) and when he passed away the two sisters started Albrizio Hat.

Ann was known for hand-crafting each design, even when out-sourcing and mass production consumed the industry. She began her career at age 16, working as a trim designer for a hat company on 38th Street in New York City. Two years later, Ms. Albrizio and a partner opened a one-room shop in Brooklyn. In 1958, she founded Albrizio Inc. and moved to 30 W. 39th Street, where it remains today.

While her pillbox hats and turbans were some of her favorite styles, Ms. Albrizio is best known for her hand made feather hats. Her feathered and flowered hats were sold in shops throughout New York and were popularity in boutiques in the South and Midwest.

Ms. Albrizio said that the 1960’s were a terrible time for hats— women didn’t want to cover their fancy ‘beehive hairdos’ with a hat. But hats made a comeback.

Ms. Albrizio’s hats have been worn by actors and musicians including Madonna, Marlene Dietrich, Sonny Rawlins and Al Green. She also created hats for the TV series Dynasty as well as the original Cabbage Patch Dolls.

A former adjunct professor of millinery at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Ms. Albrizio taught top milliners Eric Javits and Lola. One of her most successful protégés is Kokin, who has created hats for Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer, among others.

Ms. Albrizio’s passion for crafting hats was captured in Classic Millinery Techniques: A Complete Guide to Making & Designing Today’s Hats, which she co-wrote with Osnat Lustig.

Ms. Albrizio’s signature styles and expertise is still present in the business, which is now run by her nephew David Cicalese. Cicalese attended FIT, but also learned from his aunt while working alongside her. David has inherited his aunt’s headwear expertise and now designs the Albrizio hats to fit into the fashion world at large.