REPORT
Coastal
Millinery business beside the sea
by Mary Jane Baxter
Many people dream of living and working by the sea. With its incredible light, the ocean has a particular pull for artists and craftspeople who find endless inspiration in the colours, the ever-changing panoramas and the vast skies. Not only can coastal life boost your creativity, but the health benefits have also been well-documented. All that fresh air helps blow the cobwebs away! As ever, it sounds wonderful on paper, but what is the reality for those who make the move? What are the challenges of running a millinery business when you are sometimes far away from both suppliers and potential clients? The Hat Magazine spoke to four milliners who have left city life behind and set up by the sea.
Photo: Melissa White Jane Fryers “I love using materials straight from the sea”
Jane Fryers made the move to Hastings on the south coast of England ten years ago, drawn by the friendly people, the vibrant music scene and the lure of the sea. She creates beautiful bespoke hats and headpieces, many of which incorporate fish leather in the design. Boasting Europe’s largest beach- launched fishing fleet, Hastings seemed like the perfect place for Jane to be based! “I came across fish leather years
before I left London for the seaside,” says Jane, “but living in Hastings and getting to know the local fishermen has certainly developed my interest in the whole tanning process. Although most of the skins I work with now are professionally processed in Germany, Iceland and Indonesia, they’re all by-products of the fishing industry, which is important to me in terms
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of sustainability. Fish leather has a unique quality. It seems to come alive when I work with it.” Jane has no regrets about making
the move. She says that connecting with her clients and keeping in touch with colleagues has never been a problem. “I’ve always been happy to hop on a train to London for any kind of millinery event and I use the journey to catch up on paperwork. I also find that customers are more than willing to combine a hat fitting with a trip to the seaside. Lockdown with its Zoom antics has made networking a breeze and as an Ambassador of the British Millinery Association, I’ve met with and chatted to milliners all around the world without leaving my studio.” Jane has also forged connections
closer to home with many other makers who live along the coast.
Connections
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