Tell us a little about your background – you came to millinery a little later in life didn’t you?
Yes, that’s right. I qualified in Interior Architecture in 2008 but unfortunately it was the beginning of the recession. There were no jobs or even experience in the field for many years after that. In the meantime, I worked in a café and petrol station to pay the bills. However, in 2012, as I was approaching 30, I started to panic about the future, so I looked into developing my creative skills.
What attracted you to the idea of becoming a milliner?
I loved the idea of working on my own and using my hands. With hats, there are no restrictions. Yes, each piece has to look good and photograph well, but it’s also about the engineering, the weight and the balance. My headpieces have no functional purpose other than to make the customer feel amazing.
How did you train?
For the most part I’m not formally trained. I’ve only ever done one short millinery course at the local art college. There I learned what sinamay was, how to create freeform shapes and make rolled and bias edges. That course sparked a love for
millinery and from that point I became obsessed with it. I read everything I could, researched materials endlessly on the internet and watched hundreds of YouTube videos, which was essential. Each week I would buy a new material, feather or tool and just spend my spare time practising and experimenting.
How does your previous career and the skills you developed inform your hat designs?
While it never materialised into a career, interior architecture definitely shapes how I approach my work. I always start with the client, their brief and the purpose/event. I then talk through ideas and sketch them up. Often samples of feathers and fabric are explored and pieces are then worked out to a specific budget and timeline.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I love watching other artisans at work. My TikTok feed is full of haute couture milliners as well as other craftspeople making things from scratch. Sculptors, carpenters, stained glass experts, furniture makers, crocheters and ceramicists to name but a few. I’m inspired by the endless possibilities of all of those crafts being used in hat making.
Photo by Thomas Brown HATalk | APR 2026
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