On the 26th of October 2022, Lock & Co. opened ‘60 Years of James Bond Hats’, an exclusive exhibit celebrating the film franchise’s 60th Anniversary. Featuring hats from the six decades of 007 films - including several Lock & Co. designs - the exhibition will be a chance to see original pieces of movie history from the 007 Archive, some of which have never been shown before. Fans of fashion history, film history and James Bond will be able to see hats alongside supporting props and costumes worn by characters from the series, curated by EON Productions’ Archive Director Meg Simmonds. To celebrate this historic anniversary and one-off exhibit, we caught up with EON’s Archive Director Meg Simmonds to discuss 60 Years of James Bond Hats.

Have you always been a fan of James Bond films?
I’ve been aware of James Bond from a very early age. I wasn’t what you would call a ‘fan’ but I looked forward to seeing the films. Now that I’ve got to know the films intimately, I am a ‘fan’. There’s so much to admire in each one.

Tell us a bit about some of the 007 props, costumes, and hats being exhibited at Lock & Co.?
We have all six decades of Bond represented in this exhibit. From Oddjob’s SFX hat seen in Goldfinger in the 60s, to Monica Bellucci’s funeral hat seen in Spectre in 2015. We’ve included extra props to set the scene – so for example Q’s laptop and hotel pass to accompany the woolly beanie he wears in the mountain sequence in Spectre; Goldfinger’s golf shoes are shown with the Oddjob hat; fencing foils from Die Another Day set-off Bond’s fencing mask; and an inscribed Best Man lighter Felix gives to Bond in The Living Daylights, is shown with Tim’s bullet-damaged top hat. It was fun to be able to create little tableaus around each of the hats to give them context. We also have two full costumes from the Spectre Mexico City Day of The Dead scenes – Bond’s stunning hand-painted skeleton tux alongside Estrella’s look. I think visitors to the exhibit will enjoy seeing these pieces from the archive.

What’s your favourite hat from the Lock & Co. x 007 exhibit and why?
Vesper’s Lock & Co. trilby – because I’d wear that – it’s a great looking hat. It’s only on-screen briefly when she arrives in Montenegro on the train on route to the Hotel Splendid in Casino Royale.

What's your favourite hat from the 007 x Lock & Co. retail hat collection?
I love both the Vicenzo hat and the Andrea hat - they are just exquisite, both in design and fabrication.

In May 2022, we caught up with cult menswear fashion blogger and Influencer David Evans, otherwise known as the ‘Grey Fox’, and asked him about the hats in our 007 James Bond hat collection.

What is your favourite hat from our Lock & Co. 007 collection?
I love the Auric Goldfinger cap and the Bond trilby. Both are classics and look good on anyone.

How would you style the Auric Goldfinger cap hat?
The Auric is so adaptable. Wear it, Goldfinger style, with a cardigan and tweed suit or with jeans, boots and knitwear. I'd give it a traditional edge with a Fair Isle jumper, waxed jacket, pleated tweed trousers and Veldtschoen boots.

What style lessons do you think can be learnt from James Bond?
I think the best lessons are to be learned from the original books and the earlier films. The secrets of genuine Bond style are outstanding fit and simplicity of style. The ultimate Bond look is a bespoke plain navy suit, white Sea Island cotton shirt, comfortable loafers and a dark knitted silk tie. What else would a man need? Well, a hat, of course.