Hartford resident Dr. Celeste Ashe Johnson wears her favorite royal blue hat most Sundays while attending worship services at Urban Hope Refuge Church off Barbour Street in the city’s North End.
The flashy sequins, feathers, diamonds, pearls, bows and buttons that adorn many of the over 100 hats she has collected over a lifetime are more than just a fashion statement, they are part of her cultural identity.
“I am a small-statured woman, so on days when we are having dress up affairs or going to a special church service, I will wear the royal blue hat because it lifts me up and gives me height,” Johnson said. “But more than that, it says what’s inside of me. It says that I know who I am, what I’m capable of, and what my weaknesses are.”
Church hats, or sometimes called church crowns, are part of a cherished tradition in some predominantly Black congregations. The hats are seen as a way of honoring scripture as a passage from Corinthians declares that women should cover their heads during worship to honor God. But more than that, they symbolize a heritage passed down over generations.
“I don’t wear the same hat all the time and I don’t do it for fashion,” said the 77-year-old Johnson. “I wear hats because I want to set an example for younger women that you can be respected in how you choose to adorn yourself. You don’t adorn yourself because what someone else does, but for who you are. The style of the hat, the color, how you wear the hat all speaks to who you are and who you developed into or are developing into.”
From 1994 to 2002, Johnson led the International Association of Ministers’ Wives and Ministers’ Widows, a non-denominational organization of 43,000 Christian women united into one Christian fellowship.
“In church culture, hats are big,” Johnson said. “Every year, as part of a special service called Women’s Day, women church members very carefully sit together and choose what color hats they will wear. When everyone agrees on the color of the hats, they offer a sense of unity. We are all women and we all have our perspective about what makes us women. But on that day, we are unified on who we are and what we are called to do.”
Urban Hope Refuge Church, which was pastored by Johnson’s late husband Dr. William Mylious Johnson Jr. for decades, is now headed-up by her son Pastor AJ Johnson. AJ, a well-known community activist and organizer, has led the church since 2013 upon the death of his father.
“My late husband was a very distinguished man, his hats really defined who he was,” Johnson said. “They were part of his character.”
The Hat House
Keeping with both tradition and family heritage, Johnson’s son, AJ, opened a new hat shop on Saturday in Hartford, as a way of honoring both his Dad and his family identity.
“My dad was from Harlem, and for most of my life growing up, hats were something that was just part of my culture,” Johnson said. “My dad never left the house without putting a hat on. When we would travel through Harlem or the Bronx going to church, everyone would have hats on. You would see ladies with these big fancy hats with diamonds. It’s just something that has always been part of our identity.”
The Hat House, located at 213 Garden St., sits just a few blocks from the church Johnson’s father helped devote his life to. The store, which sells men’s hats and accessories, is the culmination of several years of planning.
“I first got the idea on a trip to Italy to visit my brother,” Johnson said. “I looked in his closet and he had a whole bunch of hats. My wife, who was also there, asked why we both had so many hats and I said because our Dad wore hats. After that moment, I left Italy saying we’re going to start a hat business in his honor.”
The business, named Brother’s Johnson 1929, is headed by AJ and his brother William Mylious Johnson III, and commemorates the progressive character and class of individuals who wear many hats and live lives of distinction, according to Johnson.
Many shades of personality
The store offers up over 40 different products including different hats and accessories such as socks, scarves, and ties.
Among the hat offerings, customers can choose from a wide array of colors, sizes, materials, and styles to find the perfect match. The shop offers everything from the flashy and flamboyant to the more reserved hat styles. Other more seasonal offerings like winter beanies and straw hats are also offered.
Among some of the unique designs include the Purple Princeton, which features a bright purple wool fedora with a golden yellow underlay. The hat, priced at $140, is crafted from 100% Australian wool with a shine-on self-matching grosgrain hat band. More reserved offerings include a mustard colored brim fedora made from Australian wool felt called The Winston. The hat, priced at $120, flaunts a 2.5″ 2-tone bound brim and a matching hatband.
“We are going to have our own custom hats,” Johnson said. “But we also will be selling other brands including the popular Stetson line.”
The shop will feature a unique Hartford line with styles reminiscent of the hat’s Johnson’s father wore decades ago. The hats, still waiting to be shipped, are expected to arrive later this week.
“Another idea is you can come in and you can design your own hat, whether you bring an old hat or a new hat,” Johnson said. “So we are looking to have a feather bar and design nights where people can come in and jazz up their own hat.”
Investing in Hartford’s North end
Johnson, a proud advocate of Hartford’s North end, said he is often asked why start a business in a part of the city removed the bustling downtown streets.
“When you say you’re opening your business on Pratt Street or Main Street, everyone is excited for you. But the minute you say Garden Street, they ask is it safe, are you going to have security, are you licensed to carry? I understand what my neighborhood can represent, but we also need to understand that it is 1% of the community doing these bad acts.”
Johnson’s church, which sits off the city’s Barbour St., is at the heart of the Hartford Renaissance District. The initiative, which Johnson helped spearhead, aims to reimagine a long neglected part of the city that has had little investment over the past few decades. Garden Street, several blocks from Barbour, is another area Johnson hopes to be revitalized one small business at a time.
“When I tell people I’m opening my business on Garden Street, there is a look of disdain on their faces,” Johnson said. “Because everybody’s asking why would you put your business in a space no other business wants to be? No one is lining up to develop anything in this neighborhood. But I’m hoping people will see this as an opportunity to build in their own neighborhood. There is a lot of potential here.”
“We’re bringing class back with a level of sophistication,” Johnson said. “Not really leaning too much into the old, but stepping into the new generation of what hats can look like and how you can express yourself. It’s about brining a sense of pride.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected]
