After eyeing one of their hats for years, I finally picked up a hat from the famed French milliner Maison Michel while in Paris a few months ago. Know for the stunning designs and use of heritage methods, the Maison has continued to distinguish itself over its storied history.
The story of Maison Michel begins in 1936 when Auguste Michel opened his millinery at 65 rue Sainte-Anne, Paris. In the 1960s, he entrusted the House to Pierre and Claudine Debard, who took charge of it until 2002. He was an entrepreneur, she was a milliner and together they successfully ran the company for many years thanks to their ability to meet the needs of an era marked by a revolution in hairstyles and the galloping success of ready-to-wear.
By the 1970s Maison Michel had become the hat maker of choice for Parisian haute couture, which was booming at the time. The Debards reorganised the workshops to satisfy this demand and most importantly reintroduced the Weismann, an antique machine for sewing straw still used by milliners at the House today.
Embodying the exceptional craftsmanship of a French luxury brand, Maison Michel joined Chanel’s Métiers d’art in 1997. Alongside collaborations with ready-to-wear and haute couture ateliers, as well as its bespoke service, the House launched its eponymous line in 2006 under the impetus of Laetitia Crahay, artistic director at that time. Its first boutique opened in 2013 on rue Cambon.
In 2015, Priscilla Royer was appointed to create the collections and the House image at Maison Michel. The creative director’s hat designs are innovative, capturing the zeitgeist and responding to the cult of individuality that defines our era. Priscilla Royer has made headwear accessible once more by developing pieces that suit both women and men, allowing each individual to express their personality.
Photography: Bright Cut Media
Sweater and Boots: CHANEL – Bag: Hermes – Hat: Maison Michel – Skirt: Dynamite – Sunglasses: FENDI
