HATS OFF: Ruslan Baginskiy is ready to throw his hat in the ring at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann — a 6-foot baker boy cap, to be precise.
The Ukrainian milliner will take a main entrance and 12 windows of the Galeries Lafayette flagship on Boulevard Haussmann from Tuesday to Aug. 25 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his brand.
“Galeries Lafayette is more than a department store — it’s a global stage,” said the designer. “This installation is an homage to Ukrainian craftsmanship, but also to memory, childhood dreams, and everything fashion can still make us feel.”
There will be large-scale monograms made of wicker and wheat spikelets, and screens showcasing the crafts going into Baginskiy’s creations. Another display will have a hat floating as if blown by the wind and an animated display with fluttering cherry blossom petals, a reference to its symbolism of peace in Ukrainian literature. The country has been at war since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Alix Morabito, the department store’s director of womenswear buying, merchandising and special projects, said Baginskiy’s “limitless creative universe, attachment to crafts and know-how, openness on the world and optimism made this designer-entrepreneur a unique and radiant personality.”
With hats and “a desire to dress the head” making a comeback in recent seasons, she highlighted his bucket hat as “unique” and called the brand’s bird-shaped charms “real totems.”
Coinciding with the takeover, a 450-square-foot shop-in-shop will bow on the department store’s second floor, situated near the outposts of Lemaire, Loulou de Saison and Ami Paris. Running through February 2026, it will offer a selection of headgear plus bags, candles, jewelry and its freshly introduced bag charms.
Baginskiy, who launched his hat brand in 2015, won the ANDAM accessories prize in 2023. His designs, which include the best-selling baker boy cap and a fun hat-bag hybrid, have been spotted on the likes of Madonna, Rihanna, Janelle Monàe and Bella and Gigi Hadid.
He also created custom hats for Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Cowboy Carter tours, and pieces presented to members of the British royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Designs such as a scarf-meets-baseball cap, a jaunty sailor hat and straw models have been spotted in various episodes of hit shows like Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” and HBO’s “The White Lotus.”
