Creating the Hat of a Hero
Before hatmakers Herbert Johnson joined the House of Swaine, they were situated at 13 Old Burlington Street in London. In 1980, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis began to design the hat that would sit on the head of a hero.
Mr. Steven Spielberg was on the brink of making Raiders of the Lost Ark, the very first Indiana Jones film, starring Harrison Ford. Nadoolman Landis's hat would be pivotal to the character and the plot, and Herbert Johnson was delighted at having been chosen to create what was to become the famous iconic Indy hat...
When it came time to create the subsequent sequels, Herbert Johnson were proud to step in once again working with costume designers Joanna Johnston and Anthony Powell to create another batch of custom ordered hats for filming ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom’, 'The Last Crusade’ and most recently ‘The Dial of Destiny’
The hat of a Villain
The tremendous success of the original trilogy Indiana Jones films have secured their place in popular culture forever and just like our original poet, the hero Indy Poet is ageless and enjoys an enduring popularity to the day.
The same can be said today perhaps for the formerly less notable hats from the films, including 'The Seaplane' and now 'The Major' styles which are increasingly enjoying a popular allure due to their rarity and having universal style appeal for everyday wear.
The Major style is inspired by the hat Herbert Johnson Hatters provided for the film character of Major Arnold Toht, the secondary antagonist played by actor Ronald Lacey in Spielberg's iconic 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' film. It cannot be denied that some of the great movie villains exude style and sophistication. This hat represents the ultimate in the kind of slick style and presence you would expect worn by the most devilish of ne'er-do-wells.
Originally crafted from black fine rabbit fur felt with a black ribbon band and brim binding, these timeless hats are now completely handcrafted to order for each customer by the highly skilled hatters at Herbert Johnson. Now available in both rabbit and beaver felt options.
Discover the full story of our brands collaboration with this iconic film franchise here in our Journal : https://herbertjohnson.co.uk/blogs/journal/hat-of-a-hero