Deep Blue Sea

Deep Blue Sea is a hat designed by Australian milliner, Ann-Maree Willett, which is made from Australian wool felt and set with 26 precious opals from Lightning Ridge, weighing a total of 1447.5 carats. Deep Blue Sea was the feature piece of the ‘Climate’ series of hats that launched Willett's international millinery career. It contains more Lightning Ridge precious opal than has been brought together on any other wearable item and became known as “the million-dollar opal hat”, then later as “the most valuable hat ever offered at public auction.” History In 2007, milliner Ann-Maree Willett was invited to represent Australia with a collection of hats at the Corso Como design Centre in Milan, Italy. The collection, ‘Climate’, comprised a series of hats inspired by Australia's natural environments and earned Willett one of the few Churchill Fellowships to be awarded for design in Australia, as well as a relationship with famed Italian company Borsellino. The centerpiece of this collection, Deep Blue Sea, was designed and manufactured as an item of runway or catwalk couture - a wearable sculpture rather than an everyday item.