Betsey Does Derby With Quirky Hats!

If you have been following me for a while, you know by now my undying love for Betsey Johnson. Her quirky attitude, eccentric designs, and above all, her tremendous heart, always make her stand out from other designers and that’s what I love about her most (among many other factors, of course!) Recently, she has taken her innovative ideas and compassion to good causes with… hats! For the upcoming Kentucky Derby, Chambord asked Betsey to design a few hats for the horse race, to benefit the National Breast Cancer Coalition under the ‘Drink the Pink” campaign. A cause that’s dear to Betsey’s heart (she’s a survivor!), she went above and beyond anyone’s imagination, with hats that could be fitted to the liking of the Mad Hatter!

“I wanted to do over-the-top hats, and when you think of it, the Kentucky Derby is one big fashion show,” Betsey told WWD. “I’ve designed three [pink] hats – the Barbie Hat, which I adore and is so much fun; the Rose Hat, which also has whimsical looking spiders and bugs; and the Cleopatra-meets-Scarlett Hat, which has a pink wig.” How Betsey of her!

As ornate as they are, I would love to have one – or all – in my possession! Any true Betsey Girl would strut down any street in one (; Betsey will be auctioning off the Barbie Hat at the brunch at Gilda’s Club of Louisvile at the May 6 and 7 festivities, while the Rose Hat will be auctioned off on April 26 at BiddingforGood.com. The third hat will be featured in a contest on the Chambord Facebook page! Stay tuned for details and your chance to win (:

The hats! Which one is your favorite?