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i t c e The freelancer
Born in the Philippines, Harvy Santos began his career as a professional ballet dancer with the Hong Kong Ballet, where he danced in all its major productions for six seasons. He then settled in the UK and studied millinery at Kensington & Chelsea College in London, going on to win multiple awards for his work. In 2013, Harvy was named The Hat Magazine’s ‘Hat Designer of the Year.’ Harvy’s hats and headpieces fuse
traditional techniques with 21st-century style, pushing the boundaries with a love of innovative materials. They have
graced the heads of many celebrities, including pop divas Lady Gaga and Hebe Tien, and have featured in numerous magazines. Harvy started his career freelancing for Stephen Jones, the Royal Opera House and Noel Stewart, and although he now has his own label, he continues to work for a range of different clients in fashion, film and theatre. He says he thrives on the variety and challenge that freelancing brings.
INTERVIEW
Bambi
Where do you look for freelance opportunities?
Harvy Santos: Most hat businesses and fashion designers employ freelancers on a short-term or project basis when they need extra help. When I finished college and completed my internship at Noel Stewart, word spread that Stephen Jones was looking for freelancers to work on a big order and needed some extra hands. I knew that if I performed well, it could lead to further work with the Stephen Jones atelier and it did. Generally speaking, longer-term contracts tend
to come from film and TV. If you’re lucky, you might be contracted for the entire duration of filming, which can last up to a year. One thing will often lead to another, and word of mouth is super important. For example, during the pandemic, I managed to get work on Season 2 of Bridgerton working with Sophie Lambe. That then led to the feature film Snow White (which is due for release in 2025), and subsequently Wicked (due to be out in cinemas in late 2024). Sophie recommended me to Jennifer Lewis (who’s also known for her hats in Wonka) and that’s how I came to work with her on the Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte. Social media is also useful for finding freelance opportunities. I think the key thing here is that you need to start the conversation either on social platforms or directly through websites. This widens your network, and it becomes easier finding work.
What sort of skills do you need to be a good freelancer?
Good communication skills, adaptiveness, plus drive and passion are really important. Excellent millinery skills are necessary too, of course, but you also need to keep them updated – knowing how to work with plastics or modelling materials,
for example, can be immensely helpful for experimental and avant-garde types of work. A feel for design and the arts, as well as historical styles is a bonus, as is an understanding of fashion aesthetics. You need a real eye for detail, especially in film. Remember that most cameras nowadays are extremely high quality, and a puckered stitch could ruin that magic in characterisation. Competence with a sewing machine is helpful for cut- and-sew hats or soft hats – especially for production, where multiples are involved. Embellishment and craft techniques are great skills to have up your sleeve – you never know when an assistant designer will come back to you saying that the director has had an epiphany and that the top hat you’re working on needs to be fully covered in crystals by the next day! Good time management is also
vital. You have to be able to allocate your resources, as inevitably (especially during the peak season) you end up working concurrently for a variety of different people. A couple of years back, I had to give up working at the Royal Opera House because I signed a contract to do a feature film full- time, ten hours a day, five days a week (and occasional weekends too). It was a crazy schedule and it affected some of my other freelance jobs, but I still made sure that I had time for my own collection. During every train journey to the film studio, I kept busy. I did research on my phone or sketched and developed construction designs so that I could do practical work on my own hats whenever I had the opportunity. I also set myself realistic timelines and deadlines.
Gigi
Revel
Arsema Thomas in Queen Charlotte:
A Bridgerton Story, 2023 >> may 2024 | 55
Photo: Alamy
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