Discarded at Sea. Recovered as Fashion.
The Fascinator Project was created for Reclaimed, Renewed, Redeemed, the inaugural exhibition of Earth Tones, a New Hampshire Art Association group dedicated to using art as a tool for environmental advocacy. Using marine debris collected during Blue Ocean Society beach cleanups in New Hampshire and Southern Maine—rope, fishing gear, bottle caps, plastic fragments and other wave-battered objects—I created a series of fascinators: small, sculptural hats worn as decorative headpieces, turning shoreline litter into improbable millinery.
The Litterati Fascinator Collection at Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 September 2 – 30, 2026
From Debris to Luxury
Contents of the bag of collected trash.
Select items soaking in bleach.
Sorted with an eye for color and potential hat.
Using pink and blue for Saint Phalle Summer – Dangerous Plaything
The Litterati Collection
Handmaid’s Ale
Concerned that her dire predictions inadvertently became a playbook for a dark chapter in American history, Margaret put on her Sunday best to drown her sorrows in a dimly lit corner of Three Dollar Deweys – where a local fisherman found this hat. Considering her sorry state, the hat fared well.
Condition: Excellent, all things considered.
Materials: Pabst Blue Ribbon can, pallet strapping, assorted bottle caps, red toy parts
Price: $38
Kusama’s Matchpoint
With surprising grace and the unbridled energy of a 97-year-old, Kusama leaped onto Centre Court where regulations regarding spots were, at best, ambiguous. The wind was having none of her uncharacteristic beige and swept this treasure into the cheering crowds–to be discovered months later on Atlantic shores.
Condition: Distressed, principally by the Atlantic.
Materials: Franklin tennis ball, bait net, polypropylene marine cordage, cheesy sunhat, Poland Springs bottle caps.
Price: $52
Madame Mystery
Sneaking between theaters for an endless fix of free films required a silent-film cineplex–and a certain amount of discretion. What would you wear? What would you smoke? Theda Bara faced just that dilemma, hoping to catch a glimpse of herself on screen while remaining undercover. Kiss me, my fool, if you believe this hat was her foil.
Condition: Small fragments survive obscurity but mostly distressed beyond recognition.
Materials: Straws, strapping, cigarillo tips, 35mm film, cup cap, plastic bottle caps, netting, beach sieve, anti-slip rubber material, zip ties, plastic netting, monofilament, polyolefin cordage, spent shotgun wads.
Price: $65
Ave del Paraíso
Ms. Khalo often wore hats while tending her macaws, mostly to confuse them. Apparently, Las Tres Amigas Millinery discovered a photo of one such encounter, taken in the 1950s by Diego Rivera, and, despite the original image’s lack of focus, reinterpreted the hat for international Día de los Muertos celebrations. Sadly, the shipping container was lost at sea, making this specimen quite rare.
Condition: Very Good. One unfortunate incident at sea.
Materials: bait bag, shallot bag netting, polyolefin cordage, Dunkin’ Donuts straws
Price: $37
Miss Nevelson
Renowned contemporary master painter Julie Beck is believed to have worn this to the 16th Annual International Art Renewal Center Salon Competition Opening, where her stunning painting, Jeez Louise, did not win as deserved but made the Still Life semi-finals. She apparently set her hat on the champagne buffet while leaning down to adjust her bootlaces. The fastidious bartender reportedly flung it directly in the trash. Julie only shrugged. Miraculously, a fellow bartender who knew its value rescued the hat but, alas, did not return it.
Condition: Remarkably intact–some cloudiness commensurate with stolen goods.
Materials: Polyolefin and polypropylene marine cordage, Poland Spring mini water bottle.
Price: $41
Saint Phalle Summer – Dangerous Plaything
Found in a metal locker propped on a shotgun, next to a pair of black go-go boots, this hat might represent the sunny dystopia of a day in La Jolla. Only Niki would trap a Velcro frisbee under a menacing pink shark bearing ice cream cones. Like most things, this will not last.
Condition: Noticeable wear from the violence of the sea, sand, and time.
Materials: Velcro frisbee, kids’ plastic shovels, Solo cups, plastic beach toys, oil-stained net bag, polyolefin cordage.
Price: $64
Asawa’s Incredible Catch
Trapped by expectations of formal dress for the 1993 Women’s Caucus for the Arts award ceremony, Ruth defiantly looped up a last-minute headpiece riffing on New England lobster pots. Time and tides swept this creation toward its inspiration, aquiring a few hitchhikers along the way.
Condition: Wear consistent with age, celebrity, and immersion.
Materials: The Incredible Hulk beach football section, Plastic dolphin, tennis ball section, plastic airplane, polypropylene, and polyolefin marine cordage, lobster trap funnel.
Price: $62
Le Guin’s Dispossessed
The feathered collars and pearlescent beadwork contributed to the evening’s electricity as well-heeled patrons crowded the coat check. Ursula’s reflective hat was jostled off her head and made landfall on a tweed lapel. “Your hat, madam,” he said, handing it to Ursula. “I don’t own that,” she announced. Confused, he watched as an enterprising socialite snatched it from his hand. Minutes later, a bidding war broke out, and the hat fetched $437,000. Little is known of the subsequent provenance, but it can now be yours for a mere fraction of that amount.
Condition: Universal elements have withstood the test of time.
Materials: Hard Seltzer Mango can, polyolefin rope, water bottle, headless action figure, soap cap.
Price: $43.70 on Urras. Not applicable on Anarres.
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About the Exhibition
Reclaimed, Renewed, Redeemed is the inaugural exhibition of Earth Tones, an NHAA group using art as a tool for environmental advocacy. The exhibition features work made from marine debris collected during Blue Ocean Society beach cleanups in New Hampshire and Southern Maine.
New Hampshire Art Association
Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery
136 State Street, Portsmouth, NH