Windswept by Karen Henriksen®

Windswept is a range of headwear for men and women that plays with and challenges our idea of classic hat styles. Whilst also drawing on current urban trends, the complex cutting techniques result in a strong architectural minimalism with which Karen has become synonymous.

Offering a perfect balance between innovation and easy wearability, Windswept began with Karen’s re-invention of a traditional English icon, the flat cap; now the comprehensive range includes an array of hat and cap shapes, each with the signature asymmetric cut.

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THE WINDSWEPT STORY

Karen Henriksen at the RCA Windswept at the RCA

Traditional and utilitarian headwear, alongside current urban trends, provided the inspiration for Karen Henriksen’s 2003 MA collection at the Royal College of Art. Her collection of sculptural millinery featured windswept headscarves, caps, ‘hoodies’ and sou’westers on a grand scale.

Karen Henriksen Flat Cap

The Windswept Flat Cap

Soon after this, experimental and advanced pattern-cutting techniques led to Karen’s re-invention of a traditional English icon, the flat cap, and this formed the beginning of what would become her Windswept Collection.
The initial asymmetric flat cap evolved into several variations, and these became a small range of subtly different cap shapes. The Deep Cap (now simply called the DC) in particular rapidly became the bestseller, offering a perfect balance between innovation and easy wearability.

broadwick hat Pulteney hat His & Hers

Although Karen’s origins were in womenswear, it became apparent that the concept and designs of Windswept appealed equally to men and to women, and her design philosophy and approach certainly appear to suit a menswear aesthetic.

Variations On a Theme

Following the success of the bestselling shape, Karen was not one to rest on her laurels! New shapes have arrived thick and fast, offering an ever-growing and changing array of designs each season.

Karen Henriksen Stripe Cap Karen Henriksen Lexington hat Autumn/Winter 2010-11

A celebration of swinging London's exciting Carnaby scene, featuring striking black & white Op Art influences, vintage 1960s buttons and trims, and introducing some brand new shapes to the range...

Windswept International

Windswept at the RCA Since March 2007, Karen has presented both the Windswept Collection and Couture Collection to international buyers and press at the leading fashion accessories trade show, Premiere Classe, held twice a year during Paris Fashion week. She also regularly visits Japan, an important market for the Windswept Collection, and has participated in UK Fashion exhibitions at the British Embassy, and at other prestigious venues in Tokyo and Osaka.

Pieces from both collections are now available from select stockists in Europe, Japan and USA. And back home, Karen continues to sell direct from the Central London showroom, and at leading public exhibitions. And now of course, Windswept is available wherever and whenever you please!

Windswept by Karen Henriksen®

Fairly early on, it was apparent that these highly original and innovative designs should be protected from potential copying. And so Windswept by Karen Henriksen became a registered trademark, and each shape is a registered design.