Textile Society of America Symposium 

^{November 12-14, 2024 - Virtual}

“Shifts and Strands:
Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles”

• Selected panelist for the 2024 TSA Virtual Symposium.
  
• Upcoming publication in the University of Nebraska Digital Commons, a free and open-access archive service of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln libraries.
  

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Henri de Châtillon (1906-1972): A French Milliner in Mexico City.
ABSTRACT:

Henri Frank Hutchinson, alias Henri de Châtillon (1906-1972), was a celebrated French milliner and designer known for his creative hats, accessories, and dresses from the 1930s through the 1960s. Yet his innovative contributions and efforts to connect the Americas through fashion have been forgotten. With the outbreak of World War II, de Châtillon fled his native France and settled in Mexico City in 1942, where he opened a millinery salon on Paseo de la Reforma, the capital's modern grand boulevard. He was part of the wave of French immigrants, including intellectuals, artists, and fashion designers, who found refuge in the United States and Latin America during the war.

Throughout his career, de Châtillon valued the French Haute Couture heritage while championing local Mexican fashions and artisanal craftsmanship. He supported Mexico’s place in the global fashion arena and believed it could become the “fashion capital of the Western Hemisphere,” paralleling the leading fashions of Paris and New York. This paper chronicles Henri de Châtillon’s career, highlighting his aspirations, singular creations, and innovative blend of materials, recovering the place of forgotten designers like him in fashion history.