Braidhat

Year: 2024

Material: ​Straw hat (base material), braided synthetic hair (braids), gold-colored dreadlock cuffs, golden lace trim, patterned wool fabric (inner band)

Collection Tracht – Gwand - Mode, Benediktbeuern

The “Braidhat” adopts the classic silhouette of a traditional Alpine hat. But instead of felt or loden, it is made from hand-sewn synthetic braids – held in place by gold-colored dreadlock cuffs.

These materials stem from a different cultural context. They carry meanings that resist seamless integration with the form – and are not meant to. The hat does not flirt with exoticism, but with displacement. What appears familiar becomes unfamiliar through the choice of material.

This work avoids making a bold statement. Instead, it generates tension – between textile memory, artisanal gesture, and cultural framing – without resolving it.

Braidhat is part of the collection Tracht – Gwand - Mode in Benediktbeuern and has been on display since April 2025 in the exhibition ”anders beTrachtet” (“differently perCeived”).

photographer: Martin Say