In Your Easter Bonnet

by Va Va Voon

ART & CULTURE, FASHION, SOCIAL EVENTS

“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade….
On the avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us…..”

Listening to the lyrics of Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade song, reminds me of the beloved New York Times street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham who, much like the iconic song, was synonymous to the New York Easter Parade.

Vintage-clothing enthusiasts deeply miss his presence, and “we dress for Bill” became an unspoken mantra for those who were hoping their Easter outfit would catch his critical eye, as he used to snap away and document what he described as “a century-old parade that continues to hold a fascination and is a mirror of fashion and fantasies of today”. (NYTimes, April 10, 2015).

First starting in the 1870s, this cultural event was an outlet for the wealthy to showcase their grandiose fashions after service, and over time this unstructured procession evolved into a celebration of creativity, whimsy and diversity.

As New Yorkers redefine and amp up their “Sunday best”, it’s hard to miss the spectacular offerings by milliners such as fashion icon Gretchen Fenston (@chapeaug) and Harriot Rosebud (@harrietrosebudhats) and their dapper friends donning their statement hats (who never disappoint with complementary head-to-toe ensembles).

It is especially heartwarming to see gender-bending expressions, glamor at any age and wearable art (especially showcased by the Advanced Style blog regulars) and boundary-pushing fashionistas.

On the other spectrum of flamboyance, participants often labor for months to prepare suitable story-telling bonnets to adorn on themselves, their partners, children and pets in.

A few examples include lovely ladies dressed as 18^th Century shepardesses, a headpiece made out of stacked egg crates filled with eggs, strategically scattered baby chicks on a man’s top hat and purple jacket and finally, colorful paintbrushes interwoven into a hat for visual texture and giant fascinators out of high heels. – Mr. Cunningham (who was a hat designer first before finding his home in photography) did indeed make an upside-down shoe hat himself, and I am sure he would have been tickled by that!

You cannot help but applaud the detailed floral-crusted creations, and the art form of wearing seemingly heavy or unwieldy objects when you meander on Fifth Avenue between 49th to 53rd Streets from around 10am – 2pm.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is particularly mobbed, and another hot spot is where swing dancers cut a rug in front of traditional jazz and swing band ‘Dan Levinson’s Hot Five’ (featuring Molly Ryan on vocals) which is now in its seventh-year! (Irving Berlin was there in spirit, playing on his piano with the band)

And so, for a magical afternoon where you can’t help but feel like a celebrity, decked out in your finery and paparazzi-worthy ensembles…head to the Easter Parade next year and immerse yourself in all the glamour!