Mastering a perfect finish is essential for Milliner, Kelly Hill even when she allows the artist within to sculpture and reconfigure the straws, crinoline and feathers. Marketing under her Label "Kelly Louise Designs” she works from her studio in Cairns, North Queensland with her headwear in demand locally and beyond.



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Meet Susana Mattanó, a University Professor in Visual Arts in Rosario, Argentina. Millinery the “Art of the Heart” caught her eye. Driven by her passion for needlecraft since her childhood and now her academic creative profile, Susa discovered Hat Academy online and completed the…

Victoria Jane of Melbourne may be extremely busy preparing headwear for the upcoming Melbourne Cup Season but it is the uniqueness and elegance of each piece that sustains her passion. She can’t wait to see the smile of gratitude on her clients face as her special headpiece or hat gives the simplest of outfits a fresh sparkle this Spring. 

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The Kentucky derby is all about big, beautiful hats and if there is one brand that fits the bill it's Designs By Tony. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Designs by Tony draws inspiration from the local churchgoing ladies. Tony's designs are highly sought after for Oaks, Kentucky Derby and other major race days…

Imagine living and working as a milliner just down the road from the Tressa Swiss braid factory and a Swiss Silk weaving mill. Michaela Temperli simply drives half an hour to select product she needs for her beautiful array of headwear she offers to her clients. The Swiss Alps are alive with beautiful chapeau she is creating in her county retreat! 

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While studying contemporary applied arts in 2002, Sara fell in love with making hats and decided it was truly what she wanted to pursue for her career. Sarah was enchanted by hats and what they could do for the wearer, “No other accessory has the ability to alter its wearers look in quite the same way as a hat!”. Her background in textiles has provided Sarah with a solid foundation in the…

Velma Owusu-Bempah from Accra, Ghana certainly knows how to 'turn the dream into reality' and her millinery journey is so inspiring as she convinces her local clients to embrace elegance, glam and sophistication. Discover what drives her exceptional workmanship quality and design-ability.

What do you love most about millinery?

Personally I see millinery as that…

For Queensland Milliner Bellinda Hasse, it was a millinery workshop in 2012 with Hat Academy tutor Elaine Mergard

that started her passion for millinery. Bellinda had always been a crafty person however, it was millinery which really opened her eyes to a new way of creatively expressing herself and she has continued to develop her skills, step by step, mastering one technique at a…

She's one of our fabulous millinery tutors, a mother, milliner, beauty therapist and colour dying master among many things but one thing some people may not know about this fabulous lady is that she is a Fashion On The Field specialist. Amanda Macor has been competing for many years and has had…

Trained at the London college of fashion and featured in the Maidenstone Museum, Christopher Garner has received international exposure for millinery marvels in various collaborations and exhibitions. Christopher's millinery pieces are essentially works of wearable art and you can see why! Each piece tells an intricate and detailed story, making them infinitely interesting to the…

Apply traditional Origami methods to your latest styling to add defined line and texture to your headwear. Your choice of fabric gives such individuality to every piece as you learn to twist and shape the folds for a complete headpiece or make a stunning trim for your hats.…

As a curious young girl, Bobbi Heath had her first taste of millinery, when after analysing her brothers school cap over and over she decided to take matters into her own hands and make some much needed improvements to the design. She analysed the hat and created a pattern from the cap, then with a bit of trial and error she created a tartan jockey hat which she proudly later wore to church. Since her first…

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For most newly retired people, life is about slowing down, enjoying taking time doing things they never got to do while they were working a nine to five and just take life one day at a time. This is not the case for Milliner Alisa Fleming. Alisa is taking every opportunity she gets to feed her…

When it comes to making an impact a few elements are vital, bold use of line, pops of colour and dramatic shapes, this hat by Milliner Michelle has all of this and more! With a top hat base in black and coral, this daring hat captivates onlookers with sprigs of black wire trimmed with delicate little butterflies. to top off the look, Michelle has finished off the gorgeous headpiece with a fountain of…

For Brisbane fashion enthusiast and FOTF entrant Alyse Jenner, racing fashion is all about having fun and wearing things that you truly love that make you feel confident from the inside out. Alyse has watched the industry and competition of FOTF change over the decade and has embraced both her own individuality and the trends of each season to create her…

Expand your design skills in millinery and gain confidence exploring freeform sculpting methods under the direction of Jane Stoddart. Parisisal straw, buntal straws and crinoline each offer their own unique textured effect with your new found love for dramatic sculpting.

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Working in IT by day and creating masterpieces by night, self professed geek, Christine Amanda from Melbourne, Australia stumbled into millinery from a world of cosplay, costumes and computers. For Amanda, her interest in millinery was a natural progression from her passion for costumes which she has been creating for the past 10 years. Cosplay has seen a massive increase in popularity in recent…

In the middle of North QLD in a remote part of Australia there Is a place called Winton, where Melissa Elliot runs her clothing boutique and millinery business. Winton is a very dry part of the Australia often drought stricken but funnily enough when we spoke to Melissa her town was flooded in and the roads were all cut out of there! We are sure that Melissa, like may milliners would…

When most people think of making hats they think of the creative process, the skills, time and effort but few people take the time to really think about the materials and where they come from, Rachael Warillow is the exception. Rachael had taken a traditional art and brought it into the 21st century where people are becoming more and more conscious about their products and where they come from and…