For so long now, the hat has been the bastard stepchild of the accessories market, a rung above gloves and socks, nothing much more than a utility garment trotted out to beat the cold or block the sun. But the humble hat is having something of a renaissance, and nothing could make Victor Osborne happier. The 25-year-old milliner launched his hat range not quite two years ago and has been doing steady business from his Brooklyn storefront ever since. Fall '08, however, is looking like Osborne's breakthrough moment. His natty toppers were featured at the Sue Stemp and Eventide womenswear shows in February (and at Tim Hamilton and Andrew Buckler on the menswear side of things). And once since the fashion parade left town, he found himself knee-deep in meetings with prestigious retailers from across the globe. "I had an eccentric aunt," he said when we asked him how an apparel-pedigreed designer wound up immersing himself in the subtleties of forms, bands, and blocking. "A real Fifth Avenue, ladies-who-lunch type, and when she died she left all these crazy, amazing hats from the fifties and sixties. They sort of obsessed me." As for whether he intends to expand his line into other accessories, such as bags or shoes, Osborne is very clear about his plans. "No. Just hats."