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Vintage swimming caps Showpieces >>
let fall through the cracks and these swim hats are one of them. These things are so transient. When they’re gone, they’re gone. I do my best to protect them as long as I can, but the materials are hard to conserve. You have to coat them with baby talc to stop them sticking, but latex and rubber tend to dry out, whilst elastic loses its stretch.” Ian says that his collection of swimming hats has always
garnered a lot of attention and that they’re also popular with designers looking for fresh inspiration. “We lent some of our original 1950s hats to Maison Margiela a couple of years ago. They were amazing, with clusters of flowers, corals and fringing incorporated into the design. They were probably extremely impractical but a lot of fun down by the pool or the beach. You’d put one on, add a pair of cat-eye sunglasses and immediately you’d have yourself a whole new persona!”
More information Ian Drummond Vintage
www.iandrummondvintage.com/en-gb
Babette Forsyth, a designer and choreographer living in Antwerp, is in her spare time a synchronised swimmer, or water ballerina. Synchronised swimming was first popularised during the 1930s when spectacular choreographed water shows, like Billy Rose’s Aquacade, became a form of popular entertainment. American swimming champion Esther Williams, who combined technical skill with glamour-girl looks, first made her name in the Aquacade and then went on to become a Hollywood sensation, starring in the 1952 film Million Dollar Mermaid. Babette’s love of synchronised
swimming came from her mother, who taught her all the basic techniques. Today, more than four decades later, she regularly puts on shows with her group, the Synchronettes. The team has travelled as far afield as Russia and the girls even won a bronze medal in the European Aquatics Championships in Rome last year. Babette says
Turban style
Swimming cap style has been a favourite on the catwalk with several designers in recent years. Miu Miu, Valentino and Chanel have
all featured collections that show more than a passing nod to vintage swimwear. But it’s not
just high-end customers who are looking to work this vibe. Katie de Toney started her
company Silk & Lawn with her mother, Susan. Based in the hip English seaside town of Brighton, Katie originally made a tiny turban to cover her daughter’s cradle cap, then turned her hand to making turbans for friends undergoing treatment for cancer. During lockdown, she too was bitten by the sea swimming bug, and it was then that she hit on the idea for her
44 | the hat magazine #97 Salty Sea Knot turban Salty Sea Knots, turban-style swimming hat toppers that turn every woman into a beach
belle. “Swimming isn’t just something
you do to keep fit,” says Katie. “It’s also about meeting up with friends, talking together and supporting each other through tough times. It’s a chance to socialise as well. Our handmade swimming hat toppers bring out the joyful side of our love of cold water swimming. Either worn on their own, or on top of the typical modern-day silicone swim hat, they’re designed to be unique
Photos by Kristine Schmitt
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