Jackman and Kidman
On November 26th the epic film, Australia opens in the US. Almost 450 Akubras were used in the filming of the movie. The hats were designed by milliner, Rosie Boylan, who says,
“With the men’s hats, my role was to create a range of strong character looks that carried the epic Hollywood styling of the film. I took the cinematic vision and worked with Akubra to translate their classic hats into customised pieces.”
And Managing Director Stephen Keir, the fifth generation of Keir to take the helm at the family owned and operated Akubra says,
“We sent fresh, new open crowned hats off and they then had to make them look like they’d been worn through anything from war to years in the outback. Our hats are renowned for their durability so I’m sure ageing them was an art in itself.”
This isn’t Akubra’s Hollywood debut, with past movie credits including The Man from Snowy River, Crocodile Dundee and 3:10 to Yuma.
By the way, do you see Hugh Jackman wearing a riding coat? The Driza-Bone riding coat is an icon of the Australian Outback, where drovers would herd cattle over long distances using stock whips.
One familiar hat in the movie is the Slouch. Also known by Australians as “The Digger”, it is has been worn by the Australian military since 1885. David Morgan has sold the Slouch since 1965. These photos are of extras in the movie.
Wearing a Slouch
Many people wonder why we use the term “bash” when we talk about creasing a hat. The word “bash” comes from Australia where soldiers would receive their hat unshaped. They were required to bash it into the proper military form.
Read a review of the movie, “Australia”
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