How did you first start getting into the business of designing hats?
It started as an opportunity that happened by chance, I didn’t look for it, but once I got the offer I was curious to explore the possibilities. I feel hat making is closer to sociology than making clothing. It’s ultimately object design, as we’re not pattern-making or garment-making.
In the end, it has a lot to do with colours, shapes, fabrics and all that matters is style and the personality of the person wearing the hat.
What are some things people may not know about the art of millinery?
To make a hat you need a lot of physical strength. People at the workshop have to work hard on the material and really "earn" the hat. They have to work on the shape which gets steamed and put in the oven, and you have to nail every angle to get the proper curve. The process of hat making is fascinating.
How would you say hats have evolved over the years? Which decade do you think had the best hats?
Recently I’ve been looking at the '40s and '50s again, especially at musicians in the U.S. at that time. That era goes with my mood and what I want to explore right now. The hats over the years have adapted to the times a bit; the atelier is now willing to work on the flexibility of materials to adapt to a contemporary lifestyle.
I myself have no shame shoving my favourite hats in my bag. I feel you have to really live with your hat, and the more you manipulate the hat, the more it becomes flexible and softer so that it molds into the shape of your head.
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