Anne Novotny’s eco-friendly Frei Designs offers elaborate constructions, with layering, color and fabric choices that seem both original and individualistic. She does creative things with “barnacles” of fabric that manage to work in non-obtrusive ways. The line was the first of the evening to introduce what would become the dominant color spectrum (peach/rust/copper), with shades of rust throughout. Novotny’s looks are creative but wearable; that is, perhaps except for the over-the-top scarf that closed her show on a surprising note that evoked “Halloween costume.” Nevertheless, her show really had something to say and stood as one of the night’s highlights.
Finishing the Hat: The Fine Art of Optimo In 2011, GQ magazine featured Optimo as one of the seven best hat stores in America. It took lots of bold steps for Graham Thompson to reach the top of his game and become one of the best fine hatmakers in America.
