The Vassilissa Collection was conceived as a homage to the classical foundations of millinery and an embrace of contemporary ideals. Explore our three sections: classical, contemporary and bespoke.
What’s in a hat?
The brand was born out of a sense of adventure and a hat.
The hat had no brand, just a simple label: Made In Italy.
This hat, 100% straw and Made In Italy, had received myriad comments around the world and prompted a search to replicate said hat.
Tracing our steps from San Remo, where the hat was rumoured to have its origin, we discovered that the boutique on the Italian Riviera was no more.
The only thing to do was to enjoy an Aperol Spritz on the Riviera and keep moving.
Indulging our sense of adventure, we went next to Venice.
Ah, Venice. It sends your heart a flutter with its beauty and is a place both to celebrate and despair of love.
It is a city that, once you visit, you will dream of going back to. It is art. It is beauty. It is simplicity.
It is all of the qualities that we have drawn inspiration from and tried to imbue in The Vassilissa Collection.
By this point, the search to replicate the hat had finished. Venice is known for many things but millinery is not one of them. Masks, more like.
At this junction, our search had turned into research.
Where did this hat come from? Where were the origins of the Made In Italy ‘brand’? Our quest took us to Florence, where leather artisans are known to have created beautiful items – and still do.
The answer would take us to a region of Italy that we previously had little knowledge of, and had never visited: Le Marche.
Skirting the Adriatic coast, and dipping in and out of the countryside, we discovered a region that was filled with beauty, soul and authenticity. We also discovered what we had been seeking: the heart of hat manufacturing in Italy – and arguably the world.
Our hats are 100% straw and 100% Made In Italy. As purists, we do not compromise on this fact or the quality of our products.
We hope that your exploration of our site will inspire you to purchase your next hat for summer – or winter, depending on your destination!
A hat is an extension of your personality and we hope that with your purchase will come a renewed sense of self and wanderlust.
