Irina Sardareva says her client is an eccentric, self-confident woman, who knows the excitement of the instant change that a hat brings. Photo by Archive
Her hats have visited the Pope, have drunk tea with Queen Elizabeth II, have been at the horse races at Ascot. Her name is Irina Sardareva, Bulgaria's most sumptuous and famous hat-maker.
By Milena Hristova
It all started like a fairy tale about the dream, the faith and the roles that we play.
"Every woman needs a secret place, to be herself and with herself alone, and change her images without looking silly", says Irina Sardareva, Bulgaria's most famous and eccentric hat-maker. "That is how I started to dream about a house of the hats, where the woman can find her role by picking the right hat and go out like queen."
Negotiations to buy the house that she chose started with a misfire. After a fresh start, however, Irina saw her dream revived. Finally she acquired the house of her dreams. Quite auspiciously it turned out that the woman who built the house had studied hat-making before fleeing to France.
"I follow my intuition and this helps me choose the right direction. There is such a thing as destiny," Irina smiles.
Located in a neat Vladajska Street in Sofia, it is the only house of hats in Bulgaria and claims to be bigger that the one Рѕwned by Philip Tracy in London.
Bulgarian traditions in hat-making were interrupted in 1946, when a law on illegal enrichment branded hat-makers as a social evil. It was only in the 60s with Khrushchev's hat that hat-making was revived.
"When I first arrived in Bulgaria in 1978 men pointed at me and said: Look, an air hostess is walking down the street!", Irina recalls.
After three generations were deprived of their flair for and attitude to wearing hats, Irina pins her hopes on the young people.
"I am very happy that the fashion of the young people includes the hat because they understand it makes you stand out in the crowd. I see in these young people my future clients, who will come to me when they grow up. "
The profile of her average client?
"She is an eccentric, self-confident woman, she knows the excitement of the instant change that a hat brings. She is not necessarily a wealthy woman, but rather middle class with a certain upbringing, who wants to be different."
"It is passion that I put in each of the hats. But you know - the favourite child is not born yet."
Eclecticism marks the beginning of each century, according to Sardareva. "People look back and find many appealing traits from the past."
Curious about the latest fashion hat trends?
"Anything goes", Sardareva says with a smile.
Guess it depends on how you play the role.