Helen Kaminski is Australia's best-known and most successful millinery and accessory designer. In what has become her most enduring product the 'Classic' handcrafted coarse woven natural raffia sun hat, she created a distinctive signature that combined quality, utility and style. With the appearance of her hats in the Australian and American movies Kangaroo, Dead calm and Green card worn by actors Judy Davis, Nicole Kidman and Andie MacDowell, international exposure was assured and the Helen Kaminski label is now a global brand available in the USA, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Australia.

Originally an artist Kaminski started creating raffia hats in the early 1980s to protect her children from the sun. While she didn't have any knowledge of millinery she was attracted to the sculptural qualities of hats and with her fine arts background felt comfortable launching into hat making from this perspective.

For centuries hats were an essential dress accessory but went out of fashion in the 1960s with the advent of 'big' hairstyles and casual dressing. Kaminski's entry to the market with a range of stylish sun hats was timely, the appearance of an ozone hole over the Antarctic in the early 1980s created widespread awareness of the health threats posed by the sun's harmful ultra-violet rays.

Kaminski sees her work as an expression of her life in Australia, reflecting the relaxed and casual lifestyle and drawing inspiration directly from the beauty of the bushland, beaches and inland waterways that surround her home in the outer suburbs of Sydney. This is melded with her love of the natural resilience and beauty of the fibres she uses and the traditional craft skills of the communities she works with. Rather than having a large factory base Kaminski prefers to use the skills of local weavers, embroiderers, fabric printers and crocheters in India, Morocco and particularly Madagascar.

The finest raffia is grown in Madagascar and it is here that the 'Classic' raffia hat is produced. By using only natural fibres and dyes she tries to ensure her product has no adverse environmental impact. Equally she wants her business to play a positive social and economic role in the communities she works with. Kaminski's company in Madagascar is the largest exporter of hand crafts and provides training and employment for more than 2000 local women while also assisting them with housing, health care, meals and schooling for the children.

Hat, hatbox and Helen Kaminski catalogues, (2), women's, 'Classic', raffia/ paper, designed by Helen Kaminski in Australia, made in the workshop of Helen Kaminski in Madagascar, 2002

Hat: women's sun hat of coarse hand-braided full leaf natural raffia sewn in a circular pattern and steamed and blocked into shape. Hat has an oval shaped, slightly domed crown and a wide upturned brim. The crown is trimmed with a wide black band and bow which is caught to the hat on the proper left side with a small metal raffia leaf pin.. Slighty padded half hat band around inside of crown in black and printed with light tan. There is a cardboard and paper swing tag attached around crown with a length of twined raffia.

Hat box with lid: lidded hat box is of natural coloured cardboard printed with Helen Kaminski logo, black cord handles. Inside box is printed with small raffia leaf motif and has oval insert to support hat.

Catalogue: colour printed paper, 19 page booklet titled 'Helen Kaminski Summer 2000'. The front cover shows a young woman wearing a colourful raffia hat and a purple and pink top.

Catalogue: colour printed paper, 16 page booklet titled 'Fall 2000 Helen Kaminski Australia'. The front cover shows a young woman wearing a blue hat happily reading a book under a tree.

Since launching her first handmade hats 15 years ago Helen Kaminski's company has expanded to become an international operation. The company now produces over 200 hat and bag styles each year and Kaminski overseas a design department, product development team and production team.

Kaminski feels her hats are an expression of her Australian environment, reflecting its relaxed and casual lifestyle and drawing inspiration directly from the great beauty of the bush land, beaches and water inland that surround her home in the outer suburbs of Sydney. Much of her collections are made in natural fibres and use a considerable amount of traditional craft skills. Rather than having a large factory base she uses the skills of local weavers, embroiderers, fabric printers, crocheters in India, Morocco and particularly Madagascar. The finest raffia is grown in Madagascar and it is here that the 'Classic' hat is produced. By using only natural fibres and dyes she tries to ensure her product has no adverse environmental impact. Equally she wants her business to play a positive social and economic role. Her company in Madagascar provides training and employment for more than 2000 local women and is the largest exporter of hand crafts in Madagascar. Her company also helps the women with housing, health care, meals and schooling for the children.


The 'Classic' and 'Provencal' hats are made from raffia, the juvenile leaf harvested from the raffia palm tree in Madagascar. The raffia is sustainably harvested to ensure the palm is left alive for the next years harvest.

Kaminski uses the highest grade of raffia in her product with the width of the leaf, resin content, length and colour determining the grade. The raffia leaf is carefully selected to ensure an even texture is achieved while the natural resin gives the hat its strength and flexibility. In addition raffia fibre can breathe making the hats cool and comfortable to wear.

The 'Classic' hat uses coarsely woven full leaf raffia which is hand braided and sewn in a circular fashion then steamed, blocked and trimmed with a black bow.

The 'Provence' hat is hand crocheted from quarter leaf raffia thread joined together without knots. Its delicate openwork styling makes it light and cool to wear.


2002

This hat was donated new.

Gift of Helen Kaminski, 2003

Hat: printed on swing tag 'HELEN KAMINSKI', 'HELEN KAMINSKI/The Classic/Standard Brim/One size', 'Natural Style'. Printed on hat band inside crown '100% RAFFIA HELEN KAMINSKI/SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA/Handmade in/Madagascar'.

Hatbox: on lid 'HELEN KAMINSKI/SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA' on top and on two of the sides. White paper sticker on one side 'STYLE: CLASSIC 5 ROW/SIZE: ONE SIZE/COLOUR: Natural'.

2003/144/1

2002