WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The above video is from 2019.
A D.C. icon has passed away. Affectionately known as D.C.'s Hat Lady, Vanilla Beane has died. There is no information about when she died or how she died.
Beane owned Bené Millinery & Bridal Supplies on 3rd Street in Northwest. She was known for her custom-made hats worn by civil rights activists and others.
Mayor Muriel Bowser issued the following statement on her passing Tuesday morning:
“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 was born Vanilla Powell in Wilson, N.C. on September 13, 1919. She was the youngest of seven children.
She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1942 where she met her husband, Willie Beane. She worked in the downtown Washington Millinery Supply and as a seamstress in the 1950s. That's where she sharpened her craft.
The Washington Millinery Supply eventually switched products and started selling bridal headpieces instead of hats, with the owner noting “low demand” as the cause.
After leaving the company, Beane continued to passionately make hats while working as a mail clerk for the General Services Administration.
In 1979, she opened Bené Millinery & Bridal Supplies to serve the African American community that kept the tradition of ornate hats alive, especially in church. Beane’s custom-made designs could cost up to $500.
A 3-D replica of one of her hats was even displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.