Editor’s leter


Helo, hat making friends


And welcome to our new-look edition of HATalk!


We hope you like the refresh across the magazine and the website, which builds on all the fantastic work that former editor Becky Weaver has put in over the years. We’ve retained all your favourite features, including monthly projects, millinery inspiration, techniques, tips and tricks, whilst exploring other creative avenues too.


In this April edition you’ll find an interview with Irish milliner Michelle Kearns, who talks about her journey from interior architecture to hats. Michelle has a wonderful way with wire and feathers, creating structures that seem almost weightless. Step inside the atelier of


UK milliner Jane Fryers in our regular series ‘At the end of the day’, and revel in Art Deco style at the Napier Festival in New Zealand. Get creative with Martine Henry’s placemat bergère project, and wrestle with the ongoing handcrafted versus machine-made debate.


It’s a bumper issue, so put your feet up, make yourself at home and settle in for a good read.


Mary Jane


Hat on cover by Michelle Kearns Photo: Thomas Brown


Editor HATalk: Mary Jane Baxter mail@hatalk.com | www.hatalk.com | @hatalkmag


HATalk | APR 2026


INDEX PA G E


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