REPORT
Bee Smith Millinery
www.bee-smith.co.uk
Bee Smith started her business in 2010 after having graduated with a degree in fashion in 2007. She is known for millinery which takes inspiration from vintage shapes but with a modern twist. Besides making bespoke pieces for all occasions, she also offers hats for hire and a repair and refresh service to breathe new life into pre-existing pieces. “I think it is important to have a
Headband with green petals
sustainable approach in all walks of fashion,” says Bee. “The pieces I created for my final degree show were made from upcycled materials such as a World War II parachute and
deconstructed men’s suiting made into ladies’ evening wear with a 1940s silhouette. I have carried this approach through into my millinery label. Where possible, I use vintage textiles and I have been conducting a lot of research into new, sustainable alternatives.” Bee spends a lot of time researching, going
to trade shows, and talking to colleagues in the industry to improve her knowledge and to find new sources for her fabrics. “It is important to strike a balance between old and new. I would love to be able to create my collections using solely vintage or upcycled materials, but by their very nature, they are often difficult to come by and there are limited stocks. I recently went to the Sustainable Angle Future Fabrics Expo, which was an invaluable source of information, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to explore sustainable fabrics. I have been making changes over the last couple of years to make my own business more sustainable – we source our materials very carefully to reduce air miles and use more environmentally friendly textiles and dyes.
Sally-Ann Provan
www.sallyannprovan.co.uk
Sally-Ann Provan originally started her business in 1994. Her brand is known for elegant, timeless contemporary millinery for every event and occasion. She makes bespoke pieces to order, and she also makes hats and headwear for stage and screen. Besides that, she offers repair and retrim services for both women’s and men’s hats. “Upcycling is becoming increasingly
important for me and I have two collections coming soon which incorporate various upcycled materials in different ways,” says Sally-Ann. “We only have a finite amount of materials
30 | the hat magazine #92 ‘Inflorescence’ hat
and land to grow those materials,
and all materials have a legacy of time, effort
and cost in making them, so we should always value that. Our waste has an impact on our planet and we have to take more responsibility for that. There are things we can all do to minimise that impact, and one of them is to reuse materials.” One way Sally-Ann reduces waste is
by offering retrimming services to her customers. It is a key service that she has offered since the beginning of her business. “I want clients to enjoy wearing their hats more than once. I have regular
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