To cap it all

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A RUBBER BATHING HAT COULD INFLUENCE THE WORLD OF COUTURE FASHION? BUT DIOR, VALENTINO, JOHN GALLIANO AND KARL LAGERFELD HAVE ALL CREATED DESIGNS INSPIRED BY THIS UNLIKELY ITEM OF HEADWEAR

Words: CAROLYN KAIN

PHOTOMONTAGE artist

Mari Arp is another to make the most of this obscure accessory; an exhibition of her gorgeous images is on display at Galeria CôrteReal in Paderne. Her models imitate the vintage style of Esther Williams, an Olympian who swam her way into 26 aqua-musicals. She is remembered for her synchronized swimming and glamorous poolside image as seen in Hollywood movies. Throughout the 1940s, her bathing attire became all the rage, with most women’s budgets stretching to a colourful cap adorned like hers with flowers and patterns.

Emulating the period and the flawless beauty of the models, Arp’s art is achieved through a complicated and time-taking process that begins with a photographic image impregnated onto paper from which she carefully peels away the individual layers. Each wafer-thin transfer must be handled with the utmost sensitivity, realigning it onto a canvas using even pressure. Afterwards, applying acrylic paint, charcoal and pastel chalks to the fragile surface, she must be precise and gentle.

High Fashion Statements

Dior’s glittering caps have delicately beaded netting to cover the face

Valentino has created fabulously ornate silicone hats

Galliano’s swimming caps are decorated in gold, paint-splattered neon and red lace

Lagerfeld’s bride wears a metallic cap with tulle cascading from the back

Finally, a clear layer of synthetic resin intensifies the colours, protects the delicate surface and adds a lustrous appearance.

Prior to the fashionable intervention of Esther Williams, swimming hats were mostly functional items used to protect a lady’s hairstyle. During the Victorian era, when women immersed into the sea from their bathing machines, their hats were made from cloth or silk. In 1883, when rubber was invented, this more practical waterproof material was shaped into frilly mop caps.

It was only during the 1920s and 30s that bathing caps were designed into a shape we would recognise today. Intended to emulate aviators’ helmets, they copied the pilot’s headwear of the time. The strap that secured the hat under the chin enabled women to dive and swim without disturbing their carefully coiffured Marcel waves!

During the 1950s, managers of public pools ruled that for hygienic reasons it was compulsory for women to wear swimming hats. It was, they said, the way to stop long hair from blocking drains. Manufacturers were delirious as women reluctantly complied and swimming hat sales shot up.

That is until the 1960s when the directive ended, just as men began to favour longer hair. Feminists proclaimed that in a male dominated society this was the reason why the unpopular rule was lifted. From that point onwards, bathing hats were rarely seen except on the heads of serious swimmers wanting to increase their streamlined efficiency in the water. These sleek structures are mostly made from super-flex silicone, and once again they are worn for functionality rather than for fashion. Some style gurus and influencers predict it’s all about to change and as the swimming season begins we should look out for glamorous retro headwear beside our pools and beaches.

About The Artist

Your absolute favourite three movie stars?

There are many new films and great young actors at the moment. In the age of Netflix and other streaming providers, I can't decide, but the actress Dominique Devenport has made a lasting impression on me. Among the stars of yesterday, Sean Connery, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor are unforgettable.

One film you can watch again and again?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the unforgettable Audrey Hepburn.

What inspires you to start a new work?

Faces, faces and more faces. I love to read them and analyse the proportions.

Do you have pieces in any important galleries, or owned by famous private collectors?

All galleries that work successfully in these difficult times are important. And every collector is important. In Portugal I am represented by Côrte Real Gallery which counts international collectors in its roster of clients.

Do you have archives of old film stills?

No, I am not a person who archives anything.

What colour is your bedroom?

Just white and a few natural tones, for a quiet, deep beauty sleep…