I am going to share a bit about me and my history, to give you an insight into some of my influences and my passion for creating millinery. My headwear is handmade and crafted with the highest attention to detail. I use a mixture of traditional millinery processes and love to investigate, evolving techniques and new materials. Sustainability is extremely important to me - our planet is irreplaceab
le. I’m sure most of us have our moments of succumbing to the use of plastics, I try to offset this with the use of recyclable materials. The beads I use are primarily glass, mainly Czech due to my heritage. I love to try out new materials and see how I can manipulate them and incorporate them into my designs. The aluminum sheet has become a firm favorite! My headwear is a combination of luxury fabrics and vintage finds, I upcycle discoveries sourced during my love of seek and find, truly believing one person's rubbish is another's treasure. A proportion of my stock has begun life as a car boot sale offering or charity shop find. How did I discover my passion for millinery creation? December 2018, I found myself with one week’s annual leave to use up before the end of the year, instead of taking a holiday abroad, I enrolled in a one-week course at Central St Martin's: Vintage millinery. My love for headwear was born. At last, I had found what I wanted to create! My early years
I grew up in a multicultural community; I loved joining in with all the festivals; sometimes dressing up in traditional dress from around the world, learning dances and traditions. I spent time crafting from a very early age, and I learnt how to sew some of my own clothes and make alterations. Studying art was the obvious choice for me, I spent three wonderful years studying sculpture, at Sheffield Hallam University. I fell into office-based employment but my passion for being creative never left me. Three years at night school @ Harrow College gave me a City & Guilds qualification in fashion. The construction of clothing fascinates me, taking a flat piece of material and making it into something 3-D always seems magical. In 2004 life threw me a curveball, I was diagnosed with MS. I am proud that I have worked hard to manage my condition and live a full and fulfilling life. The silver lining has been the deepening of my belief that diversity is to be celebrated, inclusion is not an option, it is a prerequisite.
The future
With all my creative instincts and influences I now sculpt original headwear, encompassing my eclectic and unique style. I continue to learn, explore and create, coming to life through millinery making. My wish for you is that my unique headwear gives you confidence, the feel-good factor, and pleasure - the three things that it brings me when I create it.
