Vintage French hat box by Lilly

Lilly practices the art of “Cartonnière”. This French traditional profession masters the realization of French hat box in paper and fabrics. There are only a few Cartonnières remaining in France today.

French hat box

The most iconic luxury box in France is without contest the Hermès box: rounded, rectangular, squared… different formats to wrap the superb Hermès pieces. Did you know that these orange boxes date back to the Second World War? If this luxury paper box has always been the packaging for Hermès, it was initially off-white. In 1942, a shortage of off-white cardboard led to a new color, actually the only one available at that time: the orange. The iconic “orange Hermès” color was born.

Getting back to Lilly. Passionate about the French art de vivre and centuries-old heritage, she pursues the tradition of French hat box. Her vintage design is a tribute to the 18^th century: elegance, refined details and magnificence. You will be immediately transported to a Versailles boudoir, at the times of Marie Antoinette.

The vintage French hat box is covered with Toile de Jouy fabric. Watch the different perspectives with attention, they reveal subtle details and symbols from the 18^th century. Toile de Jouy is an historical French luxury know-how: the original manufacture opened in 1760 in Jouy en Josas (a tiny village very close to Versailles). Centuries later, Toile de Jouy timeless designs remain French icons. Dior recently launched a homeware collection with precious Toile de Jouy designs, a tribute to Christian Dior himself, who loved the refinements of these 18^th century designs. Even, Toile de Jouy covered the furniture of the Christian Dior very first boutique, 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris in 1947.

On the inside, the hat box is covered with a water-green suede from Pierre Frey, a French luxury Maison founded in 1935. For three generations, Pierre Frey designs and produces fabrics, wallpapers, rugs, and furniture in France. They honor French traditions and luxury style, taking inspiration in a collection of over 25,000 documents, dating from the sixteenth century to the present.

Would you guess how many days Lilly needs to create this vintage French hat box? For one French hat box, at least 2 full days are necessary. It requires a great mastery in several techniques, and also patience! Cutting, couture, sticking, drying… The luxury hat box will be finally ready to join your home. All that remains is to choose where to display it: it can be an elegant decor in your room or else used in your closet to host your accessories (belts, scarves…) or your lingerie.