Toby Gomme's Page

Profile Information

I Love Hats Because?: I love hats because they give people a sense of style and identity. A sense of purpose and direction in life. I am a completely self taught Milliner and one of the most important concepts for me is up-cycling old vintage hats and the material i use to style them. I use a wide range of materials in my creations from nature such as leather, fur, feathers, bones, shells, Fossils, crystals, metal and anything i find interesting and does not have a use or considered beautiful any more. I love the infusion of different styles and genres and i try and incorporate as many interesting fabrics and textures as i can find in my creations.

About Me: I started performing at age 12 tap dancing in musical theater shows. After deciding to do my BA-Hons in Dance at Laban i chose a career in the circus. It was a magical place with mysterious characters and wonderful costumes. I have been fortunate to have traveled the world with my work and have had the chance to experience such a wide range of cultures and people.
In the last 5 years i have been concentrating on honing my skills towards Millinery and costume making.
One of the main reasons i started making clothes and accessories for myself was the lack of cool, interesting attire for men these days. I decided i wanted to help bring back an era when men took pride in their appearance and are not scared to stand out with their individuality.

Elaine Mergard said…: Wonderful you found our website Toby. So pleased you have joined me in Hat Academy and hope you find it inspiring. I am committed to helping you add to your skills.

I set this up to help Beginners -once you learn the basic techniques you will be surprised how creative you can be. Millinery is a creative art & in huge demand currently. Any questions do message me here.

To make the most of Hat Academy remember to read through the Welcome Page - Read here

Keep striving towards your goal - millinery in theatre is such a specialised field. The milliner who worked on Great Gatsby is member here. So excited about the Oscar. She also works in costumes.

Enjoy, Elaine