Lilly Daché (1898 – 1989) was a French milliner and fashion designer. During her career she was the most famous milliner in the United States.
In her native France, Lilly Daché was considered (by her mother, no less) a homely child. Lilly’s thin, strong face with its green cat’s eyes and framing of straight red hair were deemed ugly. Not too surprisingly, little Lilly turned to adornment to amend her failings: braiding cherries into her hair & making hats from grape leaves. Her passion creating beauty took her to Paris to study hatmaking (after all, as Lilly says, if your hat is correct, it can compensate for a world of faults).
Lilly Daché designed for Hollywood films and had many clients who were movie-stars. International star Maria Montez loved her Lillys so much, she created a scene at Chicago’s Union Station when she discovered 2 of her 8 Daché hatboxes were missing. Never mind that she was being reunited with her medal-strewn soldier-husband whom she hadn’t seen for a year–Maria had bigger fish to fry. “I want my Daché hats!” she stormed after briefly smiling for the photographers.
Her designs and hats are valued highly by collectors of vintage clothes. Both the designer Halston and the hair stylist Kenneth worked for her before going into business for themselves.
Lily Dache checking out her hat design via
Hat by Lilly Daché via
Barbara Mullen wearing a headpiece by Lilly Daché, New York, 1951. Photo by Richard Avedon via
Hat by Lilly Daché via
Carmen Miranda wearing hat/turban by Lilly Daché via
FROM THE BYGONE 