Vanilla Beane, who was nicknamed “the hat lady,” in D.C. has died at 103. Beane became known as a fashion icon and created unique hats for women.
Vanilla Beane opened Bené Millinery & Bridal Supplies in Ward 4 in 1979. In the decades since, she served “the African American community that kept the tradition of ornate hats alive, especially in church,” according to a news release from D.C.
Her custom-made hats could cost up to $500 and among her customers was civil rights activist Dorothy Height. That particular hat ended up on a U.S. Postal Stamp.
But the world of glamour and high fashion wasn’t one she was born into — it was one she built for herself over decades.
Born on Sept. 13, 1919 in Wilson, Carolina, Beane was the second youngest of nine children. Far from the world of fashion design, Beane worked on a farm where she picked tobacco and cotton and also babysat. As a kid, she attended classes in a one-room schoolhouse in Nash County.
She moved to D.C. to be near her sisters and eventually married Willie George Beane on Jan. 3, 1942, giving her the sweet name.
The couple married before Willie’s tour abroad with the U.S. Army during World War II, according to her website. She worked as a seamstress in the 1940s, gaining experience in design.
In 1956, Beane was working as an elevator operator in a building where the Washington Millinery & Supply, Co. was located. There, she bought a hat frame and some supplies to design her own hat.
The owners of the shop were impressed with her talent and eventually she was offered a job with the company.
She left the company and worked as a mail clerk but continued making hats as a hobby. Later on, that pastime became her career when Beane opened her own store in 1979.
Even after turning 100, Beane continued making hats of all sizes and colors. Her regulars ranged from church ladies to derby-attendees to D.C.’s elite, according to her website.
Though many of her designs were exuberant, Beane had a conservative style and said she preferred to wear a turban herself.
Serving D.C. in fashion
Beane’s bold hats didn’t go unnoticed. She received many awards both for her service to the community and for her business achievements.
She was inducted into the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers’ Hall of Fame in 1975.
D.C. celebrated her on “Vanilla Beane Day” on Nov. 22, 2003 and again on her 100th birthday in September 2019.
Her designs were curated in an exhibit in the National Museum of African-American History & Culture when it opened in September 2016. One mid-century design, a green circular hat, was archived as a 3D model online.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented Beane with the Mayor’s Arts Award for Distinguished Honor on her 103rd birthday in September 2022.
Bowser issued the following statement about Beane after learning about her death:
Combining grace, elegance, and longevity, Ms. Vanilla Beane embodied Black excellence. Her talents have been on display in our city since I was just a little girl. No matter the occasion or the outfit, whether she was designing for a neighbor or a civil rights icon like Dorothy Height, Ms. Beane always knew how to make the perfect hat. I was honored to celebrate her at this year’s Mayor’s Arts Awards, and now her story is a part of DC’s story. She was DC’s Hat Lady. She was a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother. She was an inspiration for generations of Black women and for anyone who ever thought about turning their talent into a business that you love so much you stay at it into your hundreds. Rest in heaven, Ms. Beane. We will miss your beautiful soul and the beauty you brought to this world. Today, we send our love and prayers to Ms. Beane’s family and all who will miss her.”
Beane had three children: Margaret L. Seymour, Esq., Linda R. Jefferson, and Willie G. Beane, Jr. She also had seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her first child, Willie G. Beane Jr. died in 1980 and her husband died in 1993.
