The Art of Hat-Making

Cappellificio Cervo is to the world of millinery what the analogue camera is to the world of photography: a place of return to fine art and inimitable craftsmanship. It is the artistic integrity of this historic institution, dating back to 1897, that photographer Giovanni Previdi has documented so beautifully in The Art of Hat-Making.

This book takes its readers on a journey through Italian fashion history—hat-making history, to be exact—and all through the lens of Previdi's SX-70 Polaroid camera.

Previdi spent several weeks following the ins and outs of the company's hat-making process, focusing his camera on the ritual of seemingly simple gestures at the hands of makers whose craft was honed over generations. All this takes place in the picturesque Cervo valley of the Biella province, where the pure water plays an important role in the making of both ordinary and high-fashion hats.

Capturing the essence of the textures and colour intensities found in the natural fibres used to create unique pieces, the book reflects on the importance of re-embracing quality and durability to counter global fast fashion. Like his Polaroids, Previdi highlights the art of patience and perfection to confront conveyor-belt philosophies.