THEATRICAL MILLINERY
Along with theatre, Barnett Lawson’s biggest market is in television and film. They have supplied numerous productions including Downton Abbey, The Crown, Dumbo, Mary Poppins, and Pirates of the Caribbean – in which all the naval uniforms are trimmed with their braid. Caroline remarks that, in film as opposed to theatre, they are more specific about making everything look period correct and in making things look just right. “They rub it down or use other sorts of treatments to make it look old. Sometimes they need to have several copies of the same costume as the story might be filmed in a different timeline.” Then there’s the ballet, such as Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. “For the revival of ballet or opera productions,” says Caroline, “the designer will come in with the actual costume, which is often quite old, and they need to repair or freshen it up. Sometimes we haven’t got the exact braid, but with our knowledge and wealth of choice, combining two or overlaying effectively, the desired look can be achieved. There’s a lot of creativity involved, which is what I love. I also get
a thrill knowing that our trims appear in some of my favourite operas and ballets.” After supplying a fringed trim for the musical Cats, they received an enquiry from a ballet company about the same trim for a new production coming out in December. In this case, Caroline said getting the required length of fringe from the maker in England may be difficult and they may have to look for a suitable substitute in China again. “Although we prefer to work with our regular suppliers in Europe, we will always go for whoever can come up with the best goods.”
Barnett Lawson supply retail outlets such as Arcadia and Topshop. The department store Liberty in the West End of London also stock their trimmings and ribbons: “Which is great,” says Caroline, “as they’re so prestigious and we’re able to reach a different market.” Working for fashion brings new challenges for the company as fashion is more mindful of sustainability than film and theatre. “People want to know the origin of things, where the animal came from, how it was treated. There’s much more awareness
now,” says Jacqueline. “Also in millinery, environmental issues such as the flooding in the Philippines are no longer peripheral. It has directly impacted the production of our popular buntal straw hat bases.”
With the future in mind, their staff member Emily caters for retail customers with Instagram and they now have a monthly newsletter. “Social media is proving a very effective way of increasing awareness of the world of trimmings,” notes Jacqueline. But it is still vital to have the personal contact with the customer and to retain the in-store experience. “We learn a lot from the people who come in to the shop and we can then anticipate what they want. They come to us because they know there’s such a huge selection in our store, and with a range that we are expanding.” No wonder, then, that Barnett Lawson remains true to its word as the treasure trove of trimmings.
More information
www.barnettlawson.co.uk
may 2019 | 61
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