Discretion is the key to the success of one Amsterdambased milliner whispered about in fashion and royal circles… Keep it under your hat!

The tragic death earlier this year of Isabella Blow, the British fashion editor and muse, has perhaps had one small silver lining: it served to shine a light on that most underrated of accessories, the hat. Isabella was a glorious ambassador for the milliner’s art and the tributes to her life have illustrated as never before the dramatic effect of wearing a hat correctly (or even incorrectly).

But while she will forever be associated with the rise of Phillip Treacy, the British society milliner, it is another hat-maker altogether that has caught my eye. He is someone who lets his creations speak entirely for themselves, to the extent that while his hats adorn some of the most famous heads in Europe, his name is barely whispered in fashion circles.

Robert Kuijpers even operates under a different name, Robert Guillaume – his first two names. Discretion is his watchword. His creations adorn the heads of European royalty, and it won’t take you long to guess who those ladies are. Just think of the best-known female monarchs and you’d be spot on. In addition, he’s also responsible for the hats worn by some of the most wealthy and influential women around the world. New Zealander Kuijpers started out as a banker but soon realised hat design was his vocation. Anyone who saw him arrive fresh from Down Under carrying an outrageous straw hat from Fiji and a black velvet sombrero with gold threading, bought with his last penny in Acapulco, would have realised that he was not destined for the banking fraternity for long – despite what his family may have planned.

“It is easy to make outrageous hats,” says Kuijpers, who is based in Amsterdam and attributes a lot of his exquisite craft to a chance meeting with the grande dame of hat fashion, Katja Robinski. “I want a woman who puts on one of my creations to look at herself in the mirror and think – ‘oh yes, I do look terrific’. A hat should have humour, panache, suit her personality and enhance the total look. It should never be an item all by itself. I actually see the hat within a matter of seconds of meeting the customer,” he says. “I have a collection of model hats that form the basis of those that I create and as soon as I meet with the client I know, instantly, the shape for her.”

Kuijpers creates exclusive designs from materials including fur, leather, felt, and straw. His designs are classic, sporty or simply chic and dressy. “A good hat is light in weight,” he says. “The wearer shouldn’t be burdened by it. It must be supple yet firm to wear.” – Jim Dunn

Robert Guillaume Kuijpers hats by appointment. (+31) 206 423 894; robertguillaume@zonnet.nl