Janessa Leoné, the designer behind the burgundy velvet hat Taylor Swift is wearing on the just-unveiled cover of her re-recorded Red album, had no idea she’d be seeing the pop icon in one of her pieces on the upcoming release.
“It came as a total surprise to see her sport Mattie on the album cover — we were genuinely shocked, but thrilled,” Leoné, who launched her line in 2013, tells Billboard. (Billboard contacted Leoné to confirm the cap, seen on Swift’s album cover below, was her design after spotting a tip from the very comprehensive fan-run fashion blog Taylor Swift Style.)
“I’ve known her stylist for years,” Leoné says, “but did not work with her team on this shoot — it was completely organic.”
Leoné adds, “Taylor is an icon for so many young women, so we’re honored that she elected to wear a Janessa Leoné hat — and support a female designer in such a huge way — on the cover of her new album.”
The designer paid high compliments to Swift, saying that she “manifests confidence on the new album cover.”
She noted that Swift choosing to wear this hat on Red (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded album being released on Nov. 19, felt like a great fit to her, as she hopes her designs empower people to “embrace their individuality — to wear confidence like an accessory that you never take off.”
Swifties on a mission to replicate the artist’s autumn-ready Red (Taylor’s Version) look might have a tough time tracking down a Mattie Burgundy Velvet Fisherman Cap for themselves, as that specific style is currently sold out, and the brand does not have a restock planned.
But fans of the look might be interested in the “new bodies and materials in the pipeline” from their fall/winter collection, which will launch in late summer or early fall. The collection will feature wool beanies in new colors, corduroy ball-caps, water-resistant hats and more.
In July, Janessa Leoné will also debut a campaign around the importance of skincare and sun protection, with a curated edit of UPF hats that offer a high level of protection from UV rays. In August, they’ll release new functional accessories for travel.
