MUSEO BORSALINO
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Museum dedicated to the production of hats seducing fashion fans.
Alessandria inevitably means Borsalino. Immortalized by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and by Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon in Jacques Deray's film of the same name, the famous hat was born in Alessandria in 1857, the fruit of the creativity of hatmaker Giuseppe Borsalino. The city's history is closely linked to that of this legendary company. The museum, which was completely redesigned and reopened in 2023, is housed in the Palazzo Borsalino, the hat factory's headquarters from 1888 to 1984 (renovated in 1925, giving it its current appearance), and will appeal to fashion fans and history and tradition enthusiasts alike. It retraces the production of this hat brand through a journey through time and hundreds of numbered examples of the famous label. The models are on display in the Sala Campioni, which still retains the charm of the 1920s, when it was used to store prototypes, color samples, etc. The exhibition traces the company's history, tracing the production process from the careful choice of materials to the delicate finishing of the felt, and finally delivering women's hats, men's models, colonial kepi hats, top hats, panamas, bowler hats and even the flat-shaped Mambo designed specifically in 1956 to satisfy motorists in low-roof cars! Contemporary production continues to make a name for itself on the catwalk and at glamorous parties.
