A massive thank you to all members who have shared photographs of their millinery as we celebrate over twenty thousand photographs on the Hat Academy community! With inspiring headwear photos in all styles and genre, we asked 10 of our regular contributors to discuss their…

Milliner Rosemary Kanko Arthur truly believes “Through simplicity comes great Beauty” as she designs intricate and delicate headwear for customers in Ghana. Her love of nature, plants and flowers is reflected in all her designs with added sparkle and brilliance.



What do you love most about Millinery?

Making hats brings out my creativity and are simpler to…

For Master Milliner, Margaret Gill an opportunity was given to diversify from Fashion Millinery to Theatrical Work. Read about the challenges and delight she experienced with this transition.



Almost 16 years ago you made the transition from Fashion Millinery to Theatrical Millinery. Milliners around the world dream of making such a change. What proved to be your…

UK Milliner Christopher Garner has the ability to create headwear that is delightfully demure or fantastically whimsical, all of which delight the beholder. 

What do you love most about Millinery?

There are so many things that I love most about millinery so this is such a difficult question to answer (laughs out loud). I love the…

'Ana Bella Millinery' is now a well recognized brand globally, with a defining signature styling that readily catches the eye of judges and the media. Discover Ana Pribylova's millinery journey from small beginnings in Australia to featured in the Royal Ascott Style Guide.



What do you love most about Millinery?

I love that there are so many different facets of…

Kristin Silverman started millinery out of a personal love of wearing hats. With a passion for yesteryear styling she has embraced the saying “study the past if you would define your future”. 



How you would describe your designs?

I like to say my style is vintage-inspired hats for everyday wear.

What is your ideal…

Elisabeth Koch chats about pursuing a millinery business in China and the challenges involved.

What do you love most about Millinery?

How visible this art form is.

How did you get into Millinery?

I always loved making things from as far back as I can remember. Clothes, furniture, houses for my Barbie dolls, to a skirt made from an old umbrella or cutting up a stained but beautiful silk tie of my father's to create…

Lauren Ritchie has been privileged to train in house under leading Melbourne Milliner and International Tutor, Louise Macdonald. Lauren's striking styling always has a touch of the dramatic, having made headwear for ABC “Miss Fischer Murder Mysteries” along with stage and opera productions. 

What do you love most about Millinery?

I love the process of…

Hong Kong Milliner Irene Yip has had an interest in fashion and creative crafts for many years and discovering Millinery when she was working in creative media was a perfect transition in her career. Irene has embraced traditional millinery blocking techniques with a delicate handmade touch to all her trims and flowers. Discover her millinery journey.

What do you love most about…

What do you love most about millinery?

I like how hats and headpieces evolve during the making. When I am making them I will often have ideas that can change and improve the original idea.

How did you get into millinery?

I decided I wanted to make my own hat for Royal Ascot. My first DIY hat was quite nice, but I realised that I couldn’t execute my…

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.



What do you love most about…

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. 

What do you love most about…

Talented young milliner, Sophie Allport has based her distinctive styling on her love of using a natural, pliable product with a great variety of colour and texture. Sophie shares her journey with tips on how to develop your unique style of headwear.

What do you love most about Millinery?

I love that since starting millinery I have been able to combine a lot of different aspects…

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! 

What do you love…

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…

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…

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…

It was a trip to Australia that first sparked an interest in millinery for Dutch creative Agnes Fizzano and the rest, as they say is history. Agnes has always been a big lover of accessories and of course millinery being no exception. Although millinery is not particularly popular in the Netherlands, Agnes has made her mark in the bridal industry and has found her true passion. Read on to find out all…