The Épi hat traces a dialogue with the mourning veils of Victorian England: heavy, semi-transparent accoutrements historically tasked with mediating privacy, status, and performative grief against unwanted gazes. Subverting this burden of domestic mourning and its prescribed codes of female sorrow, the piece replaces silk crêpe with a mesh pot lid. Suspended over the face, the perforated wire mesh reinterprets the weeping veil into a rigid, protective barrier. This stark geometry is juxtaposed against soft black feathers, a cascading fringe that sways dynamically with every movement, and a central metallic ring that reframes the lid’s former handle as a totem-like focal point. Mounted on an adjustable headband, the structure allows the wearer to alter its tilt, actively negotiating visibility, exposure, and space. Reclaiming the narrative of mourning, the piece bridges historical memory with contemporary performativity. This piece is 1/1 and handmade in our studio in Athens.
