For South African-born Albertus Swanepoel, a career highlight was the Runner-up Award at the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. He was also nominated for the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design at the 2009 CFDA Fashion Awards.

After graduating as a Graphic designer, Swanepoel began his fashion career with Johannesburg’s Quartus Manna label in the 1980s. He won the Coty Award as top designer in the country in 1987 and left for New York City in 1989.

Swanepoel trained as a milliner under Janine Galimard at the Fashion Institute of Technology, who had worked for Cristobal Balenciaga in Paris. He then apprenticed with Lola Hats and also had experience as a theatrical milliner.

In 2000, he acted briefly as the Style Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine.

In 2004, he was asked to make the hats for the Marc by Marc Jacobs show. Often referred to as “fashion’s favorite milliner,” current runway clients include Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Carolina Herrera, Bill Blass, Cushnie et Ochs, Narciso Rodriquez, Ohne Titel, Suno, Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis, Billy Reid, and Peter Som. He has also collaborated with the Gap, Target, J. Crew, Stetson and Club Monaco.

His collection hats are sold at Barneys New York, Tomorrowland in Tokyo and 10 Corso Como in Seoul, to name a few. Two of his hats were part of the “Hats, an Anthology” an exhibition by curated by Stephen Jones. More honors include a 2010 Accessory Designer of the Year award at the African Fashion International fashion week in 2010, and a WSGN Awards Accessory Designer nomination that year.

In 2013, men’s store Odin New York created an installation in honor of the designer’s craft and work throughout the years.

In 2014, he was asked by Bench Manila to create a capsule collection for the Philippine market, and also received the Laureate Award from the University of Pretoria, where he studied Fine Arts.

Albertus Swanepoel has been a CFDA Member since 2009.