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LOS ANGELES -- September 29, 2011)
The Headwear Association (THA) has announced the inductees for the 2012 Hall of Fame. This year's honors go to Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, LL Cool J and Kid Rock. Marlene Dietrich and Fred Astaire will be inducted posthumously.
Each year THA annually recognizes stylish individuals renowned for wearing hats. The six chosen to be inducted into the Headwear Hall of Fame are all known for frequently wearing hats and have all had a positive impact on the evolution and popularity of headwear fashions.
"The mission of THA is to promote the headwear industry and keep hats in the public eye, and each year we honor individuals who have made hats an integral part of their personal style," said THA President, Ryan Seth.
Lady Gaga has enthralled us for years with her theatrical headwear on stage and off. She has proclaimed her undying love of hats - even applying for an internship with master milliner Philip Treacy. Gaga is an obvious choice for the THA Hall of Fame.
Victoria Beckham's chic fashion choices are often topped with a hat. Her choices run the gamut from chic military caps and dramatic fedoras to artful Philip Treacy creations. Her royal wedding hat put her on numerous best dressed lists. Beckham also takes her love of hats to her own runways - repeatedly showing hats with her signature Victoria Beckham Collection.
Marlene Dietrich is renowned for her sophisticated Hollywood glamour, and there are no words for how chic this woman was in a hat. Her hats were true couture pieces and her legendary style is unparalleled. They don't make them like Ms. Dietrich anymore and THA celebrates her fashionable grace with a posthumous induction to the Headwear Hall of Fame.
Fred Astaire's stage and film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. Hats were a signature part of his persona. And whether he was wearing a top hat, fedora or a summer boater, Astaire wore hats with pure sophistication and elegance. THA honors his celebrated style with a Hall of fame nod.
The title of his record says it all - American Bad Ass. Kid Rock is rarely seen on stage or off without a hat, and he wears both cowboy hats and fedoras with a distinct Rock and Roll swagger that is all his own.
Ladies love cool James in a hat. LL Cool J has made hats part of his personal style since he burst onto the music scene in 1985. He wears hats so well, and looks equally suave in his signature Kangol bucket or his more debonair fedoras and driving caps.
Members of The Headwear Association nominated more than 50 legendary hat wearers, living and deceased. Nominees had to wear hats in their personal lives and not only while portraying a character on the stage or screen. The Headwear Association board of directors voted and approved the final six inductees who will be formally inducted into The Headwear Hall of Fame at the annual THA Gala at The Central Park Boathouse on April 19, 2012.
Lady Gaga is a legendary hat wearer
