This past Sunday, our Frazier members gathered for an afternoon tea filled with Derby hat history and fashion fun. We heard about the evolution of hat styles and high-society hat wearing at the races from our Collections Manager Tish Boyer as she featured several amazing hats from our permanent collection that belonged to former WHAS11 news anchor Melissa Forsythe.

Members enjoying tea while listening to Tish on the history of hat fashion at the races. Photo Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Members enjoying tea and refreshments at the start of our Tea Time with Tish program. Photo Credit: Frazier History Museum.

And if that wasn’t cool enough, we welcomed long time Louisville fashion consultant, Jo Ross, who not only captured our attention with her nostalgic and witty stories, but also properly wow-ed the crowd with an enormous Frank Olive hat! More artistic masterpiece for display than hat to be worn, the table-sized creation is one of four large-scale hats made around 2018 by Gabrielle Amar (the designer continuing Frank Olive’s legacy after his death in 1995) and gifted to Jo. Now resting from public display, the hats originally hung from the ceiling of the exclusive clubhouse, the “Mansion”, at Churchill Downs.

Louisville fashion consultant Jo Ross sharing stories with our members.

Tish holding an original Frank Olive masterpiece, c. 2018.

All in all, we had such a good time learning about Derby hat history, Jo’s personal connection with Frank Olive when she worked for Byck’s, and connecting around our shared interest in Derby fashion - I mean, who doesn’t love fashion? Look at that hat!!

Visit the Frazier to learn more about the history of horse racing and our culture of dressing one’s best (or most ostentatious) every first Saturday in May!

-Hayley Harlow Rankin, Manager of Collection Impact