Ohko Ishida was born in Paris and has become a sculptor of hats

One evening, I received a very excited phone call from art curator Daniel Marchesseau. He was standing in a gallery rue de Seine, in front of a myriad of sculptural straw hats and wanted me to come and see them straight away. Which I did of course the next morning. And here they are… « Le coup de chapeau », an exhibition of creations by Ohko Ishida is taking place at Galerie de l’Europe until May 7 th.

Le spectre de la rose pour Nijinsky

For the last thirty years, Ohko Ishida, who was born in Paris, has devoted her talent to haute couture hats. Confortable and non invading hats. Her father Akio Hirata studied hat making in Paris in the sixties, and went on to dress the Imperial family, but also worked for Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto.

Le Temple Tofuku-ji

Today, his daughter runs his company and her own, H. at.

A la poursuite de Cristobal Balenciaga

Her sense of humour is palpable in every name : one simple white hat is called, « Méliès le Voyage dans la lune », another one is « Chasing Cristobal Balenciaga », or « le manteau de Jean Cocteau ».

She is in the gallery with her mother, her husband and two friends who show you around ; it is like entering a house in Ginza, most pieces are museum items but some of the hats can be acquired. (between 750€ and 1 500€)