FASHION

Winter’s Loudest Hats, Modeled by 8 of Our Favorite Artists

by Karin Nelson

From Prada’s oversize trapper hats to Missoni’s lofty turbans, the array of head-turning head gear from the resort collections requires a certain je ne sais quoi to pull off with aplomb. The artists pictured here certainly possess it. “They’re all so interesting looking—and have a great sense of humor,” says Alexandra ­Penney, who invited each of them into her studio, where they posed in the topper of their choosing. The photographer Duane Michals immediately went for the Elder Statesman’s knit cap, leaving the price tag purposely hanging—“he looks like a Muppet,” quips Penney—while the painter Katherine ­Bernhardt styled Dior’s riding helmet sideways for a little streetwise attitude. Much like Penney’s series “Vanishing Portraits,” on view through November 20 at Jason McCoy Gallery, in New York, all of the images were shot and edited on her phone, their ghostly appearance an allusion to the decrease in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. The capper? “Their personalities still manage to come through.”

1Francesca DiMattio

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Francesca DiMattio wears Missoni.

2Rashid Johnson

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Rashid Johnson wears Valentino Garavani.

3Marilyn Minter

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Marilyn Minter wears Calvin Klein 205W39NYC.

4Nina Chanel Abney

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Nina Chanel Abney wears Louis Vuitton.

5Duane Michals

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Duane Michals wears the Elder Statesman.

6Nathaniel Mary Quinn

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

7Katherine Bernhardt

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

8Rob Pruitt

Photograph by Alexandra Penney.

Rob Pruitt wears Louis Vuitton.