Vintage Brown & Natural Toyo Straw Top Hat - Lisa Ventre

An unusual vintage Lisa Ventre Boston hat, hand-built in tightly sewn Toyo braid and shaped into a tall, architectural top-hat silhouette.

The design combines variegated brown and natural straw tones, with a broad contrasting pale band worked directly into the construction rather than added as a separate ribbon. The high cylindrical crown is deliberately softly irregular at the top, while the gently upturned brim gives the hat a sculptural, almost whimsical profile.

Lisa Ventre began making hats in Boston in 1988, developing her practice independently before later establishing herself in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She became particularly known for working with Toyo, a lightweight paper-based fibre traditionally used in summer millinery, shaping her hats through sewing techniques rather than conventional blocking. Lisa Ventre Hats

This example retains the earlier “Lisa Ventre Boston” label, making it especially appealing as a piece from the designer's Boston period. Its exaggerated proportions and tonal woven construction sit somewhere between traditional millinery and wearable sculpture — a characteristic that became central to Ventre's work.

A distinctive collectible hat for lovers of independent American design, artisan millinery, vintage hats and statement accessories.