I came to Millinery, after a career in education, through a desire to create something new while drawing on needlework skills honed as a keen young dressmaker in my teens.
A lifelong wearer of hats I was drawn to Millinery through curiosity to understand how flat fabric could be shaped into an elegant 3D form. An introductory course at the WI Denman training college was all it took, and I was hooked. A hatty friend, made on the course, introduced me to Cotswold milliner Lou Pocock with whom we studied for City and Guilds Level 2 and 3 in Millinery.
I draw my inspiration from a wide range of sources: architecture, science and technology, the natural world, social and cultural traditions and institutions at home and abroad and across time. I love working with the rich variety of materials and techniques available both for the construction and embellishment of hats and headpieces, and the challenge of working through the experimental process of how best to achieve a particular visualised effect.
I specialise in one off custom pieces, to suit the needs of both client and occasion. They range from flamboyant and theatrical, striking and stylish, to elegant and discrete.
My priority is to work with quality materials, using traditional couture techniques, applying maximum attention to detail.