Top it Off | Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Welcome to the Fabulous Fairchild Hats Online Gallery!

Hats have been used for protection from the elements, as well as expressions of fashion, identity, community and distinction for millennia. In recent years, the fashion industry has ballooned into what is called “fast fashion.” With clothing being produced and sold at low costs and styles changing frequently, consumers are persuaded to buy new items often, resulting in significant negative impacts to environmental and human health. Sustainable fashion such as thrifting and repurposing materials has become a popular way of combating the harmful effects of fast fashion while also creating beautiful, custom outfits that express your unique style.

Area middle and high school students were challenged to create their own fabulous, wearable hats made from repurposed materials as part of the Fairchild Challenge. They were encouraged to let their interests and aesthetics inspire them to create a hat that makes a statement, and materials for the hats could not be purchased new; they had to be found at home or school, recycled, or purchased from a secondhand store. Nearly 350 students in grades K-12 created hats for this challenge!

Winners

Madi G., Riley J. and Sydney M.

8th Grade, Penn Middle School

"The inspiration for our hat is a warm, sunny beach day. For our hat we created the “Surf Shack” which has water and soda bottles made from beads of a variety of colors."

Naomi R.

4th Grade, Turtle Creek Elementary

"The inspiration for my hat is my love for pollinators, flowers, and the environment."

Costa W.

4th Grade, Turtle Creek Elementary

"My inspiration for the hat was to show how there is happiness and there is sadness. That's why there is a blank side and a side full of flowers on my hat."

Madeleine F.

12th Grade, Penn-Trafford High School

"I absolutely love the gaudiness of the 80s: the big hair, the clashing animal prints, the endless supply of latex and leathers. Of course, I wanted my hat to echo this time period."

Lillian D.

7th Grade, Avonworth Middle School

"Seeing dangling objects from hats, tall brims, and the general shape of most sun hats gave me the idea to create a jellyfish hat."

Lauralei K.

6th Grade, Archangel Gabriel Catholic School

"My inspiration was sun hats and spring."

Selin E. and Misaki Q.

6th Grade, Carson Middle School

"We were inspired by mushrooms in nature. We loved how unique each mushroom was and how pretty they were, so we decided to make that the theme of our hat."