October 2025
The Cat in the Hat
When Janelle Monáe does Halloween, she doesn’t just dress up - she transforms. This year, the multi-hyphenate artist was featured in Vogue for an unforgettable homage to the 2003 film The Cat in the Hat, wearing a custom Sarah Sokol Millinery red and white striped top hat that perfectly captured the mischievous whimsy of the iconic character.
Styled by Alexandra Mandelkorn, the look was an exacting recreation of Mike Myers’ costume from the beloved film, complete with intricate prosthetics and makeup by Cat & Niko of DYAD Make-up and FX Studio, and a handcrafted cat costume by Alex Navarro. Monáe herself creative directed the entire concept, working alongside a team of SFX artists and costumers to bring every detail to life. The result? A surreal, larger-than-life transformation that blurs the line between fashion and fantasy.
For our part at Sarah Sokol Millinery, creating the hat was both a technical challenge and a nostalgic thrill. The piece was sculpted from multiple types of foam and millinery materials to achieve the precise exaggerated proportions of the original. Every stripe was carefully aligned to ensure the silhouette read true to the film while still maintaining the craftsmanship and balance required for a wearable couture piece. Janelle’s perfectionism is legendary, and we knew this hat had to meet her exacting standards - not just as a costume piece, but as a work of art.
When the finished look debuted for Vogue’s Halloween feature, and later during Janelle’s appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, it was clear all the effort had paid off. The hat became the crowning touch of an ensemble that was at once nostalgic, camp, and high fashion. A playful ode to childhood imagination reimagined through a couture lens.
This project took years in the making, a true testament to Janelle Monáe’s creative vision and devotion to her craft. Watching her fully inhabit the character was nothing short of magical. Her commitment to storytelling through fashion makes her an artist we are endlessly inspired by.
At Sarah Sokol Millinery, Halloween wouldn’t feel complete without making something for Janelle Monáe. Each year she reminds us that millinery can be more than adornment, it can be transformation, performance, and pure joy. And in this case, it was all that and more: a love letter to imagination, artistry, and the childlike wonder that makes Halloween so special.
When Janelle Monáe does Halloween, she doesn’t just dress up - she transforms. This year, the multi-hyphenate artist was featured in Vogue for an unforgettable homage to the 2003 film The Cat in the Hat, wearing a custom Sarah Sokol Millinery red and white striped top hat that perfectly captured the mischievous whimsy of the iconic character.
Styled by Alexandra Mandelkorn, the look was an exacting recreation of Mike Myers’ costume from the beloved film, complete with intricate prosthetics and makeup by Cat & Niko of DYAD Make-up and FX Studio, and a handcrafted cat costume by Alex Navarro. Monáe herself creative directed the entire concept, working alongside a team of SFX artists and costumers to bring every detail to life. The result? A surreal, larger-than-life transformation that blurs the line between fashion and fantasy.
For our part at Sarah Sokol Millinery, creating the hat was both a technical challenge and a nostalgic thrill. The piece was sculpted from multiple types of foam and millinery materials to achieve the precise exaggerated proportions of the original. Every stripe was carefully aligned to ensure the silhouette read true to the film while still maintaining the craftsmanship and balance required for a wearable couture piece. Janelle’s perfectionism is legendary, and we knew this hat had to meet her exacting standards - not just as a costume piece, but as a work of art.
When the finished look debuted for Vogue’s Halloween feature, and later during Janelle’s appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, it was clear all the effort had paid off. The hat became the crowning touch of an ensemble that was at once nostalgic, camp, and high fashion. A playful ode to childhood imagination reimagined through a couture lens.
This project took years in the making, a true testament to Janelle Monáe’s creative vision and devotion to her craft. Watching her fully inhabit the character was nothing short of magical. Her commitment to storytelling through fashion makes her an artist we are endlessly inspired by.
At Sarah Sokol Millinery, Halloween wouldn’t feel complete without making something for Janelle Monáe. Each year she reminds us that millinery can be more than adornment, it can be transformation, performance, and pure joy. And in this case, it was all that and more: a love letter to imagination, artistry, and the childlike wonder that makes Halloween so special.
