Congratulations to Cynthia Jones-Bryson, whose exceptional talent has earned her the prestigious 2023 Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award, a testament to her imagination and skill. Winning this Millinery award for the third time is phenomenal and stands as a testament to Cynthia's ongoing innovation.

The perfect Trifecta on Melbourne Cup Day, what did this win mean to you personally?
Firstly let me say it was an absolute thrill, but very surreal to win this award. As it sinks in personally it feels a bit validating as well – I work hard at developing my skills and trying new things.

What is the name of this piece?
‘Sway With Me’ is the name of the headpiece. Inspired by the song Sway by Michael Buble.

How did the unique material used come about?
I found the material in a charity shop many years ago and only rediscovered I had it earlier in the year and I am still in the experimentation stage with it. The material is very lightweight making it comfortable to wear, two prototypes were produced to achieve the perfect fit.

What inspired your choice of colours?
I love colour and playing with combinations. Pink and green were a strong trend this year (lots of this colour combo at Flemington). I decided to go for chartreuse and fuchsia and dyed the chartreuse silk for the flowers.

The recent Gala event at NGV was a standout moment. How does their acquisition of your work hold significance for you?
It is truly an honour and one I will always treasure – its gives me a bench mark to design and create by.

Cynthia Jones-Bryson returns to the Millinery.info podcast to share about her recent winning piece for the Lillian Frank AM MBE Millinery Award. As part of the prize, Cynthia attended the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Gala, and the piece is now acquired by the Gallery with thanks to the Victorian Racing Club (VRC).

» Discover more from @cynthiajonesbrysonmillinery