Tag Archives: Princess Kako

Imperial Anniversary Celebrations Continue at Tea Party

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On Tuesday morning, a tea party for notable persons of the Heisei era was held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in continued celebration of Emperor Akihito’s 30 years on the throne. As hostess of the event, Empress Michiko did not wear a hat and as Crown Princess Masako did not attend, the most senior Imperial family member in a hat was Princess Kiko. We don’t associate Princess Kiko with millinery surprises but that’s exactly what she delivered at this event, joining her daughters in the bandeau trend that’s sweeping the globe!

In fact, all of the Akishino princesses appeared in bandeau headpieces- Kiko in a new cream one while Princess Mako repeated her beautiful peacock blue design with diamond pattern and Princess Mako repeated her pale lemon yellow silk jacquard bandeau with floral trim behind the ears.

 

The Mikasa and Takamado princesses also attended the tea party. Princess Nobuko wore a new pleated burgundy calot (it photographed as deep scarlet in some light but read as more purple on video footage) with single feather trim. Princess Akiko repeated a cream hat with short brim and pleated hatband and Princess Yoko repeated a tall, ruched dusty pink pillbox trimmed in wispy feathers.

Princess Hisako wore an interesting leaf green flat hat with what looks like square points and feather trim while Princess Tsuguko looked lovely in an orchid purple formed beret (covered in silk, I would imagine) with feathers on the side.

I suspect the emperor’s upcoming abdication has made this anniversary celebration into such a large, multi-day event but no matter the reason, it’s great to see the Imperial family lend their support (and their hats!) and I was particularly happy to see Mrs. Sayako Kuroda  in attendance. I wish we could see better views of the Takamado princess’ hats because they look memorable. Which designs here stand out most to you?

Photos from FNN; The Asahi Shimbun and The Asahi Shimbun via Getty

Imperial Royals Celebrate Emperor’s 30th Anniversary

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January 7, 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of Emperor Akihito’s accession to the Chrysanthemum throne. This anniversary was officially marked yesterday with a series of celebrations, beginning with the Emperor and Empress receiving family members, all in formal daytime court dress, at the Imperial Royal Palace. Crown Princess Masako repeated a blue silk bumper hat- a short video clip shows this piece has an interesting twisted brim around the back, something I don’t think we’ve been able to see until now.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Dec 9, 2018; Dec 9, 2017; Dec 9, 2015
Princess Kiko wore a cuffed calot hat covered in peach silk that I think is a new design for her. Princess Mako repeated the bandeau calot she wore on the day of her engagement announcement back in September 2017. Not visible here, the piece is trimmed with silk roses and leaves on the right side. It’s an interesting choice, particularly as her dotted silk gown has previously been worn with a matching bespoke calot covered in the same fabric. Princess Kako repeated her soft yellow spadded bandeau trimmed with a trio of silk blossoms on the bottom of each side, tucked behind her ears. Check out this bandeau’s previous outings on October 20, 2018 or January 14, 2015 for a better view. 


I believe Princess Hanako repeated her dark green velvet hat with clamshell-shaped bumper brim with ostrich feather trim. This view shows the design is completed with a bow at the back. Princess Yuriko of Mikasa (grandmother to Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko) wore a low-profile bumper hat in deep eggplant purple with ribbon detail on the back. 

Princess Nobuko of Mikasa wore an open ring-shaped headpiece wrapped in green velvet. Princess Akiko topped her blue silk suit (with beautiful cutwork collar and yoke) with a matching silk rolled brim hat trimmed with ostrich feathers and blue veil. Princess Yoko’s tall, pale gray-green silk hat with high cuffed bumper brim had a retro 1960s feel, amplified by its placement on the back of her head. 

Princess Hisako of Takamado topped her textured pale lilac suit with a matching flat crowned hat with double brim, the outer one wrapped in the same fabric as her suit. Princess Tsuguko was also in a flat-crowned design, her repeated peach silk hat trimmed in looped peach fabric around the bumper brim.

The Emperor and Empress then attended an event hosted by the Japanese government at National Theatre in Tokyo. Empress Michiko repeated her slightly domed saucer hat covered in pale pink silk with white lattice crin underbrim, beautifully trimmed with silk cherry blossoms and a luminous silk bow

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While the hat is not unlike Michiko’s other hats in terms of shape and scale, the colour is a slight departure (so good, right?!) and the trim is simply lovely. It’s a good hat for her as saucer hats go and I’m glad she chose something outside her usual grey palate for this celebration.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Designer: likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: Nov 14, 2018

The evening saw a dinner at the Imperial Palace (Crown Princess Masako arrived in plum and Princess Kiko in vibrant blue) while today, most of the extended Imperial royal family was seen at a formal tea party. These photos certainly don’t show great view of these hats- despite these shortcomings, do any hats stand out to you?

Photos from Getty as indicated; The Asahi Shimbun, The Asahi Shimbun, The Asahi Shimbun and The Asahi Shimbun via Getty; Sankei News

This Week’s Extras

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Her Majesty Margareta of Romania in a navy bowler hat on Wednesday to deliver gifts to Săvârșin Castle staff
More calot and bumper hats on members of the Imperial Royal Family on Thursday, who gathered at the Imperial Royal Palace for a year-end family luncheon.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Adore the sculptural layers on this green and purple felt hat by Hungarian milliner Zsófia Marx
Navy beaded button percher with looping crin trim from New Zealand milliner Anel Heyman
Red felt hat with black feather-embroidered brim from London-based Turkish milliner Merve Bayindir
Spiky black bandeau headpiece from Munich-based milliner Nicki Marquardt
Stylish and so wearable chocolate sidesweep in bouclé tweed & leather from Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Dark burgundy felt trilby with black silk abaca trim from British milliner Bundle McLaren
Saucy crown shape on this elegant winter white felt design from Czech milliner Jolanta Kotabova
Interesting accordion folded brim on this black & purple boater by Argentinian milliner Flor Tellado
Large lotus flower shaped headpiece in gold crin from British milliner Stephen Jones
Amazing black and red ombre felt pinwheel by Dutch milliner Eugenie van Oirschot

And from from London-based Irish milliner Philip Treacy, this stunning ruby red velvet felt percher with oversize silk rose and veil

More holiday photo greetings were shared this week by Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia; King Albert and Queen Paola and Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece.

Photos from social media as indicated

Imperial Royals Celebrate Emporer’s 85th Birthday

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Emperor Akihito marked his 85th birthday yesterday with an annual greeting from the Imperial Palace balcony and a special birthday lunch which included members of the extended Imperial royal family.

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While the Empress did not wear a hat (as other monarchs usually do not when hosting an event in their home), Crown Princess Masako wore a matching midnight blue velvet ruched dress and bumper hat. The same bugle bead embroidery on the cuffs and collar of the dress trims one side of the hat, adding a lovely bit of sparkle against the dark colour which is glorious on Masako.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: While very similar to this hat, I believe this is new

The ladies of the Akishino family wore a trio of calot hats, all which I think are new. Princess Kiko’s royal blue design features a cuff and bow (or butterfly) trim at the side while Princess Mako’s narrower design (a bandeau-calot hybrid) in pale seafoam green silk is trimmed with pale pink roses on the side. Princess Kako completed the trio in a pale aqua silk covered calot with cuff brim and silk floral trim at the side.

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Princess Hisako and Princess Tsuguko of Takamado and Princess Nobuko, Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko of Mikasa joined the family for a celebration lunch, all of them in brimless pillbox or bumper designs. Princess Hisako stood out in a vibrant blue feather trimmed bumper hat previously worn to the 2014 annual New Year’s Poetry Reading. Princess Tsuguko repeated her peach silk covered bumper hat trimmed with large abstract leaves in the same hue (worn for the New Year Poetry Reading last January). Princess Nobuko’s hat, in pale celery green, features a bumper brim that overlaps on one side and a crown covered in the same lace as the bodice of her gown. Princess Akiko’s pale yellow bumper hat is lavishly trimmed with what looks like a large silk flower and net ruffles in the back while Princess Yoko repeated the textured salmon pink pillbox trimmed with chevron stripes of ostrich feathers that she wore for the New Year’s Poetry Reading in 2016. 


It’s wonderful to see most of the Imperial royal family in attendance for this celebration- the Emperor’s last before the throne is passed to Prince Naruhito in April. What do you think of these festive brimless hats yesterday in Japan?
Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats
A number of you have recently mentioned several of Queen Elizabeth’s hats that have been seldom worn but that you’d love to see repeated. If you would like to write a short guest post about the hats you’re eagerly awaiting to see again, please let me know. I’d like to feature these posts in coming weeks. 

Queen Margrethe repeated her red bumper hat on Monday to open a special exhibit on Vikings at the Vikings Danish Castle Center in Vordingborg (Danish Monarchy)

Queen Silvia attended the wedding of her niece, Helena Sommerlath, last weekend in Bonn, Germany. She repeated the purple flowered hat she wore to Prince Alexander’s christening last summer.

The Prince of Wales presented the Army Air Corps with a new Guidon in celebration of their 60th anniversary while The Duke of Kent  presented awards to soldiers of the 1st Battalion The Rifles yesterday.

Princess Olympia shared a self portrait in a leather beret while in Spain on Thursday. On Friday, she donned a bejewelled headpiece with flowers to walk in a Dolce and Gabanna runway show in Palermo. Lady Amelia Windsor also modelled in the show, in a large red floral headpiece.

On June 30th, Princess Kako was the Imperial family’s representative for the biannual ritual “Ceremony of Oharashi” at the Imperial Palace. She wore a cream bumper hat with bow at the back.

And the hats that caught my eye this week:

Stunning feather work on this Susanne Juul cocktail hat with textured straw base
Australian brand Fox Millinery’s red leather hat with laser cut black looping perspex brim
Classic and chic straw fedora from Emily London
Also from Australia, Felicity Northeast’s statement hat with amazing hand embroidery (back view here)
‘Falling Kitty’ wonderfully embellished beret perchers from Anya Caliendo. Such fun!

Some of you have also noticed a surge this season in boater hats- check out the final moments of the Chanel runway show in Paris on Tuesday.

 Royal Hats

Flora Ogilvy shared this candid photo of her father preparing for his upcoming exhibition of landscape photography on Nantucket Island. His work looks beautiful.

 

Lovely, nautical family photos of the Belgian and Dutch royal families were released this week.

And finally, Princess Märtha Louise shared the loveliest tribute to her mother on Queen Sonja’s 80th birthday