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INTERVIEW


and television work. You’re not really the designer. You’re working to a brief, and the hats need to be historically accurate and suitable for close-up shots. We had a museum room with original hats dating back to the 1800s, and it was wonderful to be able to examine every tiny detail of the techniques used.


One of Louise’s headpieces for Pride and Prejudice, 1995


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Hats on screen After completing my studies, I wrote to every theatre company and costume house in the UK to see if there was a vacancy for a milliner. After what seemed like an age, I finally had a positive response from Cosprop. Over the next five years I worked on hundreds of productions, many of them famous films and TV series like The Remains of the Day, Howards End and Pride and Prejudice. It was an amazing learning experience. I was making hats for stars such as Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter and Jennifer Ehle. There’s a separate set of skills for film


Setting up in the iconic Nicholas Building When I returned to Melbourne after five years or so, I decided to sidestep into fashion millinery as there were already two or three excellent theatrical hat makers working locally. I went to visit milliner Mandy Murphy (who has sadly since died), who was based in the iconic Nicholas Building on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane. Built in 1926 in the Chicago Style, it has housed generations of Melbourne artists and creatives, and was the last building in Australia to have lift attendants! Mandy suggested I enquire about a workshop space and soon I found myself renting a small room about 25m square. I now have a studio on the eighth floor that’s double that size with a wonderful view of St Paul’s Cathedral and the river. It’s an incredible place to work. Once I’d found a studio, I had to get myself some customers. The fact that I’d worked on productions like The House of Eliott and Pride and Prejudice gave me a bit of a PR boost, but I had to start all over again from scratch. I forged relationships with some of the racing clubs, as well as the local fabric stores and fashion designers. I also


took a stall at some of Melbourne’s high-end markets, where I sold a range of factory-blocked hats that I trimmed up in a vintage style. It was all about collaboration and building networks. Those early years were incredibly hard work. I often thought: What am I doing? It was long hours for very little money. But I had to earn a living, so hats took precedence 24/7. I really didn’t want to return to my previous office job and that kept me motivated.


Melbourne Fashion Week piece


22 | the hat magazine #95


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