Article: Kristian Ferner Robson: The King of Top Hats
Kristian Ferner Robson: The King of Top Hats
There are few pieces in menswear that carry the weight of the top hat. Once the defining symbol of Victorian society, it endures as a mark of formality, ceremony and quiet authority. At Oliver Brown London, the top hat is not an addition. It is the foundation - it all begins with the top hat.
At the centre of this story is Kristian Ferner Robson, founder of Oliver Brown, and the custodian of what is widely regarded as the world’s largest top hat collection.
Where it began
The story begins, as many good ones do, with Royal Ascot.
At 18, Kristian was invited to attend and required the proper dress. Tails were sourced from Portobello Road for £70. A top hat followed for £60 from a nearby shop. It was, as it turned out, rather better than expected.
His godfather immediately recognised its quality. Kristian quickly realised he had bought well and sold the hat on at a profit.
It was a simple transaction, but a defining one.
What followed was a steady and deliberate trade. Kristian began sourcing top hats and selling them to dealers, before moving directly to private clients through advertisements in Country Life and The Telegraph. By the time he left Cirencester, he had built both a reputation and a business, paying off his student loans entirely through this niche pursuit.
Building the Collection
From those early transactions grew a lasting fascination with craftsmanship, rarity and provenance.
Today, the collection numbers over 1,000 top hats. It spans antique silk, melusine, wool felt and beaver, each piece representing a moment in the evolution of formal dress.
Antique silk top hats sit at the heart of the collection. The silk plush used to make them has not been produced since 1968, making every surviving example finite. Their rarity has shaped Kristian’s approach, not simply to collect, but to preserve and return them to wear.
Among the most notable pieces is a circa 1840 Christy’s Best Make top hat in white gold beaver fur, complete with its original box and letter of provenance. It is a reminder that these are not just objects, but artefacts of a near-lost craft.
From Collector to Authority
As the collection grew, so too did the business.
Kristian acquired Oliver Brown and developed it into the company it is today, expanding from a single Chelsea shop to five locations across London, Chester and Cambridge. In each store, rows of top hats sit above the tailoring rails, a quiet statement of authority in this defining category.
Oliver Brown top hats are now a fixture at Britain’s most celebrated events. Royal Ascot, the Epsom Derby, weddings and garden parties. Walk through the Ascot car parks on race day and the majority of top hats you see will have been purchased from Oliver Brown.
Clients include racing insiders, jockeys, owners and trainers, public figures and private collectors, all drawn by the same principle: exceptional hats, properly fitted, with a deep respect for tradition.
A Living Craft
For all their history, top hats are not relics.
Through Oliver Brown’s restoration service, antique hats are cleaned, reshaped and resized, allowing them to be worn once more while preserving their integrity. Many customers bring inherited pieces to be restored, placing family history in the hands of true specialists.
With only a handful of craftsmen remaining in the world capable of restoring silk top hats, this work is as much about preservation as it is about presentation.
The Legacy
Over two decades, Kristian Ferner Robson has built more than a collection. He has preserved a craft, defined a category and established Oliver Brown as the authority on top hats.
From a single purchase on Portobello Road to the largest collection of its kind in the world, the story is one of instinct, discipline and enduring British style.
And at its centre remains the top hat. Not simply worn, but understood.
Explore our collection of antique silk and traditional top hats
