Elegance at the château!
Cheverny Castle is hosting the sixth edition of the Hat Festival on 23 and 24 May 2026, with a cinema theme, and featuring a special appearance by Hinaupoko Devèze, Miss France 2026, at the fashion show on 24 May!
This is a unique event in the fashion world, bringing together leading French and international milliners to showcase and present their hats, for both women and men.
“My husband and I are delighted to be able to showcase the work of milliners, which combines skill, refinement and creativity. We are committed to supporting excellence and artistic craftsmanship,” explains Constance de Vibraye, owner of the Château de Cheverny.
Having been selected by industry professionals, the milliners will be exhibiting their work on Saturday 23 May from 2 pm and on Sunday 24 May until midday in the château’s stables, which will be open especially for the occasion.
For the first time, more than fifty hats from Corinne Besson’s private collection will be on display in the château and in the Salle des Trophées.
“This is a major first, and we are delighted to share it with our visitors,” says Constance de Vibraye.
Did you know?
Milliners are the successors to the ‘fashion merchants’ of the second half of the 18th century. At that time, they were traders specialising in the sale of items for ladies’ attire (ribbons, feathers, lace, trimmings, etc.).
The most famous was Rose Bertin, who supplied and advised Queen Marie-Antoinette. She became the first fashion designer and enjoyed international renown. Then, at the beginning of the 19th century, fashion merchants became milliners, focusing on the design of hats.
Nine milliners have been selected for this edition:
Aliona Slobodeniuc,
Anne V.
Chapeaux
Froufrous et Paillettes
Delphine Leducq
EftiCianko
Eugenia Jimenez
Loubéra
Lydie et Lucienne
Olga Lumière.
A spectacular fashion show attended by Miss France
The highlight of the festival: the hat show*, at the Orangerie. Each milliner presents five to eight hats for women and men, modelled by professional models. Straw, sisal, voile, feathers and flowers: these are just some of the materials that give free rein to the milliners’ boundless creativity.
* The models are dressed by the internationally renowned designer Romain Thévenin and styled by Saint Algue, the event’s hair partner since its first edition in 2018.
Did you know?
Hats have been around since ancient times, but for a very long time they were primarily a male accessory. The first women’s hat, in the modern sense, appeared in the 18th century.
One thinks in particular of the one made in 1779 by Rose Bertin and described as follows: ‘A large, upturned white straw hat, edged with hazelnut-coloured ribbon, with a band and a bow of the same speckled hazelnut colour, a plume of seven beautiful white feathers and a fine aigrette in the centre. ” (Marie-Antoinette’s Fashion Designer, Rose Bertin; Langlade, 1911)
The prizes and the jury of the Hat Festival
The 2026 jury will comprise Her Royal Highness the Countess of Paris, Ms Hinaupoko Devèze, Miss France 2026, Mr Cédric Bioche (costume designer for the Paradis Latin, the Lido and Disney) and Ms de Vibraye (owner of the Château de Cheverny). It will award five prizes:
The Château de Cheverny Prize, which will be presented by Miss France.
Craftsmanship Award
Elegance Award
Originality Award
"Cinema" Award, this year’s themed award.
The 6th Hat Festival is organised in partnership with Atelier Saint-Michel, Saint-Algue, Monmousseau, ITM-Paris and Romain Thévenin.
