1966 Born in Brighton, UK

1972 Moved to Berlin

1985 – 1988 Millinery apprenticeship

since 1988 Independent hat artist

1992 Opened studio

Berlin Mitte 1999-2009 Hat salon

Große Hamburger Strasse, Berlin Mitte

2012-2025 Hat Palace, Potsdamer Strasse 83, Berlin

2013 Book “Vom Locken der Federn” (The Curling of Feathers), Knesebeck Verlag, biographical document, Fiona Bennett with Eva Sichelschmidt

2025 “The Legacy Project”

HATS FOR (selection)

2026 Hat creation for the TV series “Alex”, costume: Sophie Canale, Babelsberg

2025 Designer Emanuel Blank, Showroom Paris

2025 Hat creation for the TV series “Babylon Berlin”, Season V, costume: Pierre-Yves Gayraud, directed by Tom Tykwer, Hendrik Handloegten, Achim von Borries

2022 Esther Perbandt, L'Atelier Dream Machine, hats for fashion show, styling: Christiane Arp

2021 "Torstraße 1", TV series, costume: Ute Paffendorf 

2021 "Babylon Berlin" Season 1III, costume: Pierre-Yves Gayraud, directors: Tom Tykwer, Hendrik Handloegten, Achim von Borries

2020 Lena Hoschek, hats for Fashion Week fashion show 

2014 Traveling exhibition "Handmade in Germany" 

2014 "Point Break" film production, costume: Lissy Christl, director: Ericson Core 

2014 "Kaviar Gauche", Fashion Week Berlin, fashion show at the Metropol Berlin 

2016 "Jim Button" children's film, costume: Ute Paffendorf, director: Dennis Gansel 

2016 "Babylon Berlin" TV series, Seasons 1 + 2, costume: Pierre-Yves Gayraud, directors: Tom Tykwer, Hendrik Handloegten, Achim von Borries 

2016 Wunderkind Couture – Wolfgang Joop, with Vogue Italia, Corso Como Milan 

2015; “Burg Schreckenstein” film production, hats for Sophie Rois, costume: Steffi Bruhn, directed by R. Huettner 

2015 Atelier Michalsky, Couture Show, The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin 

2015; Christina Aguilera, NBA 2015, New York 

2012; hats for outfits “Puma by Guido Maria Kretschmer” for Berlin Fashion Week, now Puma Museum 

2011; caps for hotel staff, Brandenburger Hof, Berlin 

2010; hotel staff, nhow Hotels, Berlin 

2006; Christina Aguilera World Tour “back to basic”, hat designs 

2006; Guggenheim Berlin, design of a special edition for the exhibition Hilla v. Rebay 

2006 Wunderkind Show (Wolfgang Joop) Hats Autumn/Winter 2004 

2004 Wunderkind Show (Wolfgang Joop), Hats Autumn/Winter 2004 

FASHION SHOW/EXHIBITION (Selection) 

2025 Positions, Fashion Positions, Tempelhof Airport 

2025 Berlin Salon, group exhibition of the FCG, Berlin Gemäldegalerie 

2023/24 Korean hat interpretations for the exhibition “Ari Arirang – Korea Fascination for a Closed Kingdom” at the Humboldt Forum Berlin 

2006 “Berlin Boheme”, Salon Show at Princess Hoor al Quasimi's private home, London 

2004 Late Lunches, fashion performance with Just Mariot, with Ben Becker and Bobo, Maxwell Restaurant, Berlin 

1996 “Tags der Nacht hinterher”, hat show with Rammstein live, Praterinsel Munich 

1995 “Siegfrieds Lust – Tarnung & Täuschung”, fashion performance with Lisa D., Marstall Theater Munich (with Otto Sander, FLATZ, Rolf Zacher, Wotan) Wilke Möhring et al.) 

1994 “Siegfried’s Lust – Camouflage & Deception”, Bar jeder Vernunft, Berlin 

1993 “Suddenly Obscene: The Lilac” Fashion performance with Lisa D., Bar jeder Vernunft, Berlin 

1992 “Goose in White”, Fashion performance with Lisa D., Jungbrunnen Berlin-Mitte 

1992 “Garden of the Senses”, Concept & Artistic Direction with Lisa D., 10th Anniversary of Playboy, Treibhaus Munich 

1991 “Tunnel of Love”, Fashion Spectacular in the Ghost Train with Lisa D., Dom Hamburg 

1991 “Fashion in the Ghost Train”, with Lisa D., Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, Klagenfurt 

1990 “Fashion in the Ghost Train”, with Lisa D., Platz des deutsch/franz. Berlin Folk Festival 

COSTUME DESIGN 

2010 Nouvelles Aventures, Mini-Opera, Contemporary Opera Berlin 

2008 "The Bible", staged reading, Ben Becker 

2005 "Swords in the Breast", Ben Becker, staged reading 

2004 "Cabaret", Musical, costume design direction with Nicole von Graevenitz, directed by Vincent Paterson "Bar jeder Vernunft Berlin" 

2001 "We're Taking Off", Ben Becker, staged reading 

2000 Love Sin, TV pro 7, erotic zodiac series 

1995 Rammstein, stage costumes including fire cloak & fire hat 

INTERIOR/ SET DESIGN 

2019 Opening of "SEIN am Schloss" Mühlheim an der Donau, Interior Design & Conceptual Consulting 

2017 Conceptual Consulting and Planning Interior of "SEIN am Schloss" Mühlheim an der Donau 

2017 "The First FLUSH" Opening by Fiona Bennett, Svenja Katharina Frisch (Assistant), H. Böhme, newly designed rooms 250m2, Varieté, Wintergarten Berlin 

2014-2017; Interior project “FLUSH” for Wintergarten Berlin Varieté, with Svenja Katharina Frisch (Assistant), H. Böhme 2011/12; Shop concept, Hutpalast Fiona Bennett, H. Böhme, Berlin 1999; Shop concept, Hut Salon Fiona Bennett, Berlin-Mitte 

1998; International GEMA Congress, Artistic Direction with S. Bolz, Spatial Concept, Berlin 

ART 

2023/24; Talking Hats for the exhibition “Ari Arirang – Korea Fascination for a Closed Kingdom” at the Humboldt Forum, Berlin 

2018; Hat objects including “Nosedive” for the exhibition “The Beautiful Room” at Galerie Ochs Privat 

2018; “nosedive II” group exhibition “Wonderland I – III”, Gallery Weekend “Kornspeicher” Berlin 

2016: “nosedive I” Exhibition “Surrealism & Beyond”, curated by Erich Weiss for the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, October 15, 2016 – January 19, 2017. 

2016 “nosedive I” Exhibition “Surrealism & Beyond”, curated by Erich Weiss for the VON BARTHA Gallery, Basel, April – June 2016. 

1996 “Fashion – Fetish – Gender”, Hat Exhibition, Akademie Tutzing. 

1995 “Life sucks”, Spatial concept with FLATZ, Praterinsel Munich. 

LECTURER 

2011 AMD Berlin. 

1994-1996 Lecturer, HdK Berlin, with Prof. Vivienne Westwood. 

CURATOR 

2024 Curator of Fashion Positions as part of Berlin Art Week, together with Esther Perbandt. 

2023 Curator of Fashion Positions as part of Berlin Art Week, together with Esther Perbandt. 

2022 Curator of Fashion Positions as part of Berlin Artweek 

ART FAIRS

2025 “Fashion Positions” fair, project “SURVIVAL HATS” 

2023 “Fashion Positions” fair, project “TWO SOULS ONE HAT” collaboration with Justine Laeufer 

2022 “Fashion Positions” fair, where “Talking Hats” was shown for the first time as a continuation of the Tales of a travelling milliner series 

2021 “Fashion Positions” fair as part of Berlin Artweek, where “Tales of a travelling milliner” was presented as the start of an art series 

2020 Participation in the “Fashion Positions” fair as part of Berlin Artweek 

2018 Jury member ELLE Bridal Award, Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, moderated by Rossy de Palma 

2014 Premiere Classe Paris, Kiss by Fiona Bennett 

2013 Premiere Classe Paris, Kiss by Fiona Bennett 

2011 capsule, Messe Paris, Kiss by Fiona Bennett 

2008 “The ART of contemporary Millinery”, Group exhibition, London 

HAT WORKSHOP 

2025 craft your crown, Petzow Castle Gardens 

2016-2018 Children's workshop Grand Hotel Heiligendamm 

2017 Children's workshop, Elmau Castle 

2010 MS Europa – from Aman to Dubai, Hat Workshop 

POPUP

2026 Galerie Wasser 

2025 Salon Flaneur, Berlin 

2025 Chateau Royale 

ARTIST RESIDENCY 

2024 Pamoja, Kasbah Lamu/Kenya FOUNDING 

2012 Fiona Bennett & Hans-Joachim Böhme GbR 

2009 “Kiss by Fiona Bennett” Knit design hats & caps made of alpaca wool 

1988 Fiona Bennett, Hat Couture 

READINGS / LECTURES

2024 Interview Talk in the Humboldt Forum Arena, with curator Dr. Maria Sobotka 

2014 Invitation as speaker, Salon “that’s attitude” Museum Bärengasse Zurich 

2013 Lecture at the Academy for Business & Media, Barcelona 

2013 Reading at Bar Golem, Hamburg, July 17, 2013 

2013 Reading at Soho House Berlin, July 2, 2013 

2013 Reading at Aufbauhaus, Berlin-Kreuzberg, May 30, 

2013 Reading at the bar of Hotel “Das Stue”, May 8, 

2013 Appearance on the talk show “People of the Week – with Frank Elstner”, May 4, 

2013 Reading at Georg Büchner Bookstore, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, April 16, 

2013 Reading at Bar Gabanyi, Munich, March 21, 

2013 Reading at Ocelot Bookstore, Berlin Mitte, March 19, 

2013: Reading at the Grassi Museum Leipzig on March 16, 

2013. Book presentation and reading "Vom Locken der Federn" (On the Curling of Feathers) in Berlin, Potsdamer Straße, with over 250 guests on March 14, 

2013. Knesebeck Verlag book presentation on March 14 at the Leipzig Book Fair 

2001. "Hate Yourself – A Craft Turned Upside Down," lecture at GDS, Düsseldorf. 

HAT PARTY 

2011: Charity for Japan, hat party at Chen Ché, with Maison Victor, Berlin. 

2005: MS Europa cruise liner, hat party & workshop from Acapulco to Hawaii. 

2004: MS Europa cruise liner, hat party & workshop from Valparaiso to Tahiti. 

2005: Hat party, Restaurant Modellhut, Berlin. 

2003: Hat party, Reingold Bar, Berlin. 

ADVERTISING 

2016: Chamber of Skilled Crafts, billboards, Germany. 

2001: NIL advertising campaign, billboards, Germany, Austria. 

1992: Sybille Magazine, billboards Germany, advertising campaign 

HIGHLIGHTS 

2017 Invitation from the British Council to a dialogue with H.R.H. Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to Berlin, accompanied by Prince William, Clärchens Ballhaus, Berlin 

2015 Invitation to the birthday party of H.M. Queen Elizabeth, private residence of the British Ambassador in Berlin 

2016 Tagesspiegel special issue "Heads": "Fiona Bennett" among the 100 companies that move Berlin 2010 Guest of honor Villa Massimo, Rome

2000 "Beautiful Hats", advertising Scholz & Friends, award in Cannes, Golden Lion for advertising campaign 

MEMBERSHIP 

2020 Fashion Council Germany 

2020 HOMO FABER Guide of the Michele Angelo Foundation, Master Artisan 

2017 "International Women's Forum" IWF - Building better leadership for a changing world