Maison Michel: an accessory brand for fashion lovers everywhere

20 July 2012

Louise Elsom

20 July 2012

If you like accessories just as much as us, then Maison Michel is the brand for you. From wide-brimmed hats to Panama hats, there is something for every fashion lover out there.

The company was founded in 1936 by Auguste Michel at 65 Rue Saint Anne in Paris. The company is renowned for its handcrafted approach to hat design and production. His signature large, wide-brimmed hats made their mark and sky-rocketed the house into the upper echelon of elite designers. In 1975, Pierre Debard brought back the Weissmanns – old straw sewing machines which enable the creation of huge hats with invisible stitching. These large, wide-brimmed hats appeal to designers, Pierre Cardin first of all, then Yves Saint Laurent.

Maison Michel went on to create hats for the haute couture and prêt-à-porter collections of companies such as Chanel, Givenchy, Lanvin and Christian Lacroix. That is until 1996, when Chanel wooed Michel Maison into its family and acquired the brand.

From 2005, private customers, haute couture and prêt-à-porter designers have been joined by the theatrical world. The Lido, Disneyland Resort Paris, theatre, cinema, and opera all call upon the expertise of la Maison Michel.

Since then, this beloved French label continues to offer the finest chapeux and accessories to damsels all over the world, largely in thanks to Madam Laetitia Crahay, the artistic director of Maison Michel. Laetitia has put a fresh spin on an already avant-garde identity with her fabulous collection of lace veils, classic berets, floppy fedoras and crystal-strewn hair bands.

If you have a passion for accessories, Maison Michel has something for everybody. From Captain to Panama hats, cache-chignons to pillboxes, there is almost an endless array of headpieces that would satisfy even the most unique desire. And if that’s not enough, you can place a custom order. Go and treat yourself, perhaps to a pair of cheeky lace ears and prepare to release your inner 60s sex-kitten!