Ali
Rauf

Inspired by the iconic leopard print, I reimagined it for spring/summer with a soft yellow ombré Jinsin base, hand-dyed and sculpted into a sleek, full headpiece. I wanted a hat, not just trim - sharp, intentional, and covering the head. Using both vintage and custom blocks, I sculpted the form and hand-beaded hundreds of thrifted seed beads to create the leopard pattern. The expansive tapered spine, seamless and shiny, took weeks to perfect - without a drop of paint. Influenced by Schiaparelli’s surrealist collaborations with Dalí, and the fearless Lillian Frank, I echo Vreeland: “I never met a leopard I didn’t like!”