Albertus Swanepoel - Top 5 inspiring question

Albertus Swanepoel – The fabulous hat fashion designer. Brought the South African fashion in U.S.A. year 1989 and on run aiming high. His apparel had earned him a Coty Award back home. Once in New York, he easily secured a design position at one of the local houses. During recession, the early nineties found Swanepoel making ends meet as an assistant to glove maker Shaneen Huxham. Found an interesting thing on making gloves but this work was seasonal, so he decided to enroll in a millinery course at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

The passion on his heart and creativeness bring him mark in American Fashion history. named the top five questions to Albertus Swanepoel that was truly inspiring.

How did you get started designing hats?

I started in 1992 already, had to do other things/jobs as well up to 5 years ago, when things changed around for me and I could only concentrate on millinery.

If you weren't designing hats, what would you be doing?

I would be a game ranger in Africa, catching poachers.

What about designing hats makes it better than designing clothing?

Hats are small, sculptural objects, and so personally, I like the smaller scale and the concentration of ideas on a smaller format. I think the medium is also maybe more challenging, since there is a restriction on which shapes a man or woman will wear on their head.

To date, what one moment has been the highlight of your career?

My biggest moment was definitely last year November, when I was announced a runner up in the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund Competition! It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the industry and a panel of very esteemed judges (Anna Wintour, Reed Krakoff, Julie Gilhart, Diane von Furstenberg, etc.)

Being that you are a hat designer, how often do you wear a hat?

I don’t really wear hats, except in the cold of winter. I don’t feel I have to be Exhibit A of my career!

Obama's Wife Fashion Critism

New york women drawing some fire of her own from several black fashion industry veterans. criticized the fashion clothing of Mrs. Obama for not wearing the work of a black designer on Inauguration Day

"The comment is inappropriate," said Bethann Hardison, a former model who now is an agent representing Tyson Beckford and an advocate for diversity on the runway. "You don't wear a designer because they are just black; you wear them because they are great."


Amnau Eele, co-founder of a little-known group called the Black Artists Association, claimed she received death threats after Women's Wear Daily published comments she made in an e-mail last week. "If you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?" she wrote.

for more read : http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/news/ny-etmich296015716jan29,0,19358.story