A hat can be more than a practical accessory. Through exaggerated proportions, architectural shapes and traditional craftsmanship, contemporary milliners are creating designs that occupy a distinctive position between fashion and wearable art. Berlin-based designer SUZ explores this approach through an unusual material: braided wheat straw.

A Traditional Craft Reinterpreted

Straw hat making has a long tradition in European fashion, particularly in Italy and Switzerland, where finely braided wheat straw was developed into decorative and functional headwear.

Unlike hats woven directly into their final shape, this technique begins with narrow lengths of braided straw. The braids are arranged and sewn together, allowing the maker to control the structure, proportions and surface of the finished piece.

The technique offers considerable possibilities for contemporary design. Wide brims, exaggerated crowns and geometric silhouettes can be created by manipulating the direction and arrangement of the braids.

The resulting hats can be both lightweight and visually substantial, with the texture of the straw contributing to their sculptural appearance.

Contemporary Millinery in Berlin

Based in Berlin-Kreuzberg, SUZ is an independent milliner specialising in the transformation of traditional wheat straw braids into contemporary hats, accessories and decorative objects.

Her work is characterised by graphic shapes, carefully controlled proportions and an emphasis on the natural properties of the material.

SUZ has collaborated with internationally recognised fashion designers, including Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. She has also worked with theatre director Robert Wilson, bringing her knowledge of headwear into the world of performance and costume design.

This experience is reflected in her approach to millinery, where the relationship between shape, volume and the wearer is particularly important.

One example is the Circus hat, made from fine wheat straw braid and finished with a decorative pompom. Long cotton ribbons can be tied beneath the chin or left loose, introducing an additional element of movement to the structured design.

Each piece is handcrafted in Berlin-Kreuzberg, where SUZ continues to work directly with the traditional braiding and sewing techniques that define her practice.

Alongside her design work, she teaches millinery through workshops and educational institutions, including Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee.

Her work demonstrates how a specialised European craft can remain relevant in contemporary fashion through experimentation with scale, structure and unconventional silhouettes.

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