Paulette de la Bruyere (some reference books say Pauline Adam) was born in Le Tours, France, around 1900. She started her fashion career as a model, but she loved wearing hats. In collaboration with her friend Monette she opened her first hat salon in 1921 and her second in 1929. In 1939, she established her "Paulette-Modes, which catered to royalty, movie stars and all the rich and famous. She employed 125 milliners and 8 vendeuses including two royal princesses who worked for fun.

She became famous in 1942 for her draped wool turbans such as the one on the left. They were soft and practical. She created styles for many actresses, including Rita Hayworth and Gloria Swanson and had branches in Paris and London. Scarves and draped fabrics were predominant features of her hats, which were also noted for their lightness.

The hat shown on the top right hand is from 1952 sketched by Rene Gruau. The hat on the lower right is a swirl of pink silk artfully draped to form a charming turban shape.

During the 60's, she produced various designs of fur hats. In the 70's and 80's, she designed hats for the collections of Emanuel Ungaro among other designers.