Issue 62, May 2011 Next issue due 18th May, 2011 HATalk the e-magazine for those who make

In this month’s HATalk...

Millinery in Practice People at work in the world of hats. This month: An interview with the brilliant Jasmin Zorlu.

Hat of the Month Cup of Coffee by Bridget Bailey.

How to… Heidi Lawton shares her techniques with a block.

The A to Z of Hats... U & V terms.

Plus – Letters to the Editor, this month’s Give Away and The Back Page.

Published by how2hats.com click here to turn over i Issue 62 Contents: May 2011

Millinery in Practice People at work in the world of hats. This month: an interview with Jasmin Zorlu.

Hat of the Month Learn about this lovely hat and something about Bridget Bailey, who created it.

How to... Learn to use a fascinator block with Heidi Lawton - the first in a three part series.

Reader Exclusive... A special offer just for HATalk subscribers.

The A to Z of Hats... Learn some hat words beginning with U and Z.

This Month’s Give Away We’re giving away three chic, little notebooks.

Letters to the Editor This month - information on upcoming millinery competitions.

The Back Page Interesting hat facts; books; contact us and take part!

1 previous page next page An Interview with... Jasmin Zorlu We recently asked San Francisco milliner Jasmin Zorlu, well known for her fabulously quirky and immaculately crafted hats, to tell us a bit more about her work. Jasmin, who also teaches freeform hat blocking workshops, is pictured below in one of her fish skin aquatic aviator helmets.

How did you get involved in millinery and where did you train? Since the age of 11, I wanted to be a fashion designer. Right out of high school, I was accepted into a fashion design program at the Otis- in Los Angeles. I didn’t want to go to LA, so I chose my backup school where I studied Liberal Arts. In my junior year, while studying Art History and Studio Arts at the University of Michigan, I took a theatrical millinery class and was hooked! It was then that I decided to move to City to study Hat Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Through a mutual friend, I set up an assistantship with Rod Keenan, a men’s fine milliner. He hand-blocks and hand-stitches his hats, so I got an amazing background there while taking a basic millinery class at FIT. Rod connected me to other milliners to work for, like the great theatrical milliner Woody Shelp. I also have worked for James Coviello and Tracy Watts when they needed some extra hands.

Do you specialise in any particular styles of hats? I specialize in cloches and helmets in aquatic leather (Nile perch skin and tilapia), upcycled cashmere and merino and felt. I do brims occasionally, but find that I like the styles the 20s and 30s best. When I do make hats with brims, I love working with jinsin, sinamay and Paris cloth because the material has no limits and I can be very sculptural in my approach.

What are your favourite materials? I try to be as eco-friendly as possible in my business. I love, absolutely love, working with aquatic leather. I started working with it ten years ago. I’ve used carp, Nile perch, tilapia and salmon. I like Nile Perch the best, because of the texture. It’s really strong and catches people’s interest right away because they’ve never seen it before. Photo: Spencer Hansen

2 previous page next page Do you use hat blocks? Ever since I started freeform hat blocking on a standard balsa hat block, I’ve not had a desire to collect blocks. Blocking with a felt , there are endless possibilities! I love teaching freeform hat blocking because I get to see what other people come up with, and sometimes I never even thought of it! I own only eleven different crowns and brims. Sometimes I just drape straw or cashmere directly on my head, luckily my head is shaped like a basketball, with no planes or ridges!

Do you design individual pieces or related collections of hats? I do both. The collections I do for the stores I sell to and also for my customers, so that they can order the style in their size and color. Though… I love designing one-of-a-kind couture hats, especially in pairs. That way they can keep each other company at the store where I sell them. Hats have energy, a personality, just like people do. Two hats of the same material and color together are more powerful than one that stands alone. It’s just like that with people: when you see a

'Sweet Bonnie ' in Straw Model: Jenny Jones Photo: Karly Larson couple dressed fabulously, both wearing hats, it draws your attention more quickly and keeps it longer than when you see one person alone.

What inspires your work? Well, I would like to say that I feel that I’m hooked into the creative energy of the collective unconscious, because, oftentimes, I’ll get a strong urge to make a design and then do it. When it’s released, several other hat companies have done the same thing. This happened in Fall 2007 when I did a hybrid of a , garrison and Parisian firefighter’s cap for Goorin Brothers. I called itParisian Pompier. At the very same time, Kangol and Costume Nationale released their own versions of the Fedora Cap. In Fall 2008, Rike Feurstein in Berlin and I both did a one-piece blocked felt equestrian cap with almost the same style lines! The Art Deco Era, outer space, architecture, flora & fauna... they all inspire my work. I really like it when I look at someone’s hat and see something totally different because of the way it’s hanging onto his or her head. It’s an instantaneous flash, but I do carry a mini sketchbook, so I’m able to capture it. I also dream certain styles. It’s important to get everything down on paper; it makes room for new ideas to get funnelled through me.

Do you have a personal favourite from amongst your own hats? I love a large sculptural black sinamay hat I once made inspired by smoke. It sold to a member of the Gallo winery family who preferred to remain anonymous. I also love my metallic lilac fish skin aviator helmet. It can cover any bad hair day and works perfectly under my bicycle helmet.

3 previous page next page You have a number of well-known clients – could you name a few? Erykah Badu, an American R & B singer, commissioned a felt hat style ‘Molecular Mermaid Helmet’ in fur felt Photo: Kristin Brynne-Costello I call Molecular Mermaid Helmet (right) from a hat boutique in which I’ve been selling to for over a decade - The Hat Shop. I made it while I was taking a half-year break in Paris. It was in greens and blues, the color of the ocean. I didn’t get to meet her, alas, but I did see her in a video last year performing with it on. Tom Waits bought a fur felt blocked hat for his wife’s birthday and Neil Young bought a fake fur hat for his daughter, both from boutiques in the San Francisco Bay Area. A California Assemblywoman bought one of my Asymmetrical Tyrolean in Leopard print fur felt with a red silk band. She said that she was going to wear it on the floor when she spoke!

Do you work from home, or do you have a studio or shop? At the moment, I work from home. In the past, I’ve had separate studios, which has worked out really well because I’m able to separate myself from my work and be super productive. When I went to my workshop studio, I knew that I had to work on the hats, and that’s all I did. Now that I have my worktable constantly staring at me, I want to work all the time, which can cut into my social life.

Is your business full time? Part time? At the moment, I’m very blessed to say that it’s full time. It depends on how much I hustle, I’ve noticed. If I go out to an art opening and meet a woman who falls in love with my fish skin aviator helmet and says she wants one and then gives me her card, I don’t wait for her to contact me. I email her the very next day to set up an appointment to come to my studio to get fitted for the helmet. When I worked for Goorin Brothers as a freelance part time in-house women’s designer, I was able to be full time as well. and hat companies commission me to do cut & sewn hat design. I also teach hat making both in workshops and privately 3 to 4 times a year. Lately, I’ve been doing open studios once a month so that people can see what new work I’ve been doing and I can get instant feedback. Trunk shows and craft shows around the holidays are always big income earners. ‘Exploding Cocktail Hat’ in pleated Crinoline Model: Kaylin Andres in pleated Crinoline Model: Kaylin ‘Exploding Cocktail Hat’ Photo: Spencer Hansen

4 previous page next page Which part of your business do you enjoy most? I love satisfying customers who keep coming back for more. I love hearing them say, “I get so many compliments!” I read a lot of business self-help books and I recently read that you have to not just give excellent customer service; you have to go over and beyond, and astound them with your excellent customer service. One way in which I do this is to deliver the completed hat to them. In this world, people are pressed for time. They appreciate it! I love millinery because it’s so sculptural. My mother is an artist and her mother practiced millinery as a hobby. It must be in my blood. Millinery is one of the purest forms of wearable sculpture. There are unlimited possibilities with shapes that you can create. Your imagination is the only limit. You can use conventional materials like straw, felt, feathers, crinoline or fabric OR… you can work with Plexiglas, metal, paper, even glass! I once told Ben Goorin, the president of a big hat company that I worked with, that I’m living in the wrong era since everyone was obligated to wear hats and they aren’t now. He said that it’s better that I’m in this era because then I can help “bring back the hat” (that’s the Goorin Brothers slogan).

Do you have time for other interests and hobbies? I have learned to balance millinery with swimming and biking. It’s important to have other hobbies besides just making hats. I make music tracks on the computer with my spoken word poetry and by sampling sounds. I like to watch 1930s and 1940s movies and sample the words the actors speak and then make music tracks on the computer for a diversion. I just bought my first Smartphone but didn’t like any of the ringtones, so I decided to make my own. One man is talking to another man about drawing up a contract for a business deal: “You can’t just pull one out of a HAT! I was born under the sign of Sagittarius, that’s the Archer!” (as if being a Sagittarius is a serious sign—I’m a Sag!).

What are your plans for the future? I would love to co-found a cooperative boutique in Europe and have my workspace there so that visitors and customers could see my process. I love collaborating and the cooperative lifestyle (I lived in cooperative housing during my university years). I would like to explore other mediums like glass and metal to make headwear.

See more of Jasmin’s headwear at www.jasminzorlu.com and www.jasminzorlu.etsy.com. You can also watch her teach a freeform blocking workshop on YouTube. Will Cardoza in eco-cashmere Model: Kellie Peach Photo ‘Butterfly Cloche’

5 previous page next page Hat of the Month by Bridget Bailey

As well as being a work of wearable art, our May Hat of the Month has also been worn in support of a very good cause.

Singer Alexandra Carter (left) commissioned Bridget Bailey to make her a coffee inspired headpiece to wear while performing in a series of charity café concerts during UK Coffee Week. This nationwide event, which took place at the beginning of April, saw the coffee industry and British consumers working together to raise money for Project Waterfall, a charity which aims to provide clean drinking water to developing countries.

Bridget is renowned for her witty and surreal creations, including headpieces in the shape of shoes and strawberry tarts. She easily rose to her new challenge. forming this true to life Cup of Coffee in parisisal straw on a specially made block. The spilling coffee is made out of sinamay which Bridget hand dyed and rolled.

Bridget, who designs and makes couture millinery, accessories and jewellery, uses a combination of

Photo:Andra Nelki textile and millinery techniques and materials which she has developed over the last twenty years. She is inspired by the structures, colours and textures of the natural world and loves to work with materials to get them to do new and original things. Her extensive knowledge of textiles allows her to use colour and texture effectively, adding an extra dimension to the sculptural qualities of her millinery. She is especially well known for her accurate portrayal of flowers and was asked to create an Iris-inspired headpiece for a gold medal winning garden at the 2010 Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show.

6 previous page next page After finishing a degree in textiles from Farnham University and a Masters in textiles from Birmingham University, Bridget’s millinery career was given a boost when her first collection of pleated silks was spotted by fashion designer Jean Muir in 1984. Bridget went on to design and produce millinery collections for Jean Muir for the next eight years.

In 1989, Bridget founded her own label, Bailey Tomlin. Her creative talent has since been sought after by designers and top department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Liberty and Selfridges. Her work has also been featured in a number of exhibitions at venues such as The V & A in , Mitsukoshi in Japan and the Dubai World Cup. She has also been in involved in millinery design development for Aquascutum and has created a jewellery collection for Basia Zarzycka.

As well as working on her own collections, Bridget is eager to pass on her expertise to others. She runs private courses from her studio in South London and is a course tutor at West Dean College, near Chichester in West Sussex. She has also given a variety of presentations at The V & A, London College of Fashion, The West Surrey College of Art and Design and Winchester College of Art.

Visit www.baileytomlin.com

to take a look at more of Photo:Andra Nelki Bridget Bailey’s work and to get further information about upcoming courses where she will be teaching her specialist techniques.

7 previous page next page Using aFascinator Block with Heidi Lawton Part 1 - Creating a Silk Base A fascinator block may not look very special to the undiscerning eye, but these small blocks can be used to make headpieces which are anything but ordinary. A huge variety of can be made on the same block - each one unique. We gave Heidi Lawton, of Extra Special Touch, an FB1 fascinator block from Guy Morse- Brown Hat Blocks to see what she could come up with. The stunning result is pictured here (right). In the first of a three part series explaining how you can create this look, we’ll begin with instructions for the silk base. What you will need... • A Fascinator Block • Millinery Wire • Cling Film (Saran Wrap) • A Needle • A Square of Blocking Net • Matching Thread • A Square of Silk • Fusible Cotton Interfacing • A Water Sprayer • An Iron • Blocking Pins • Cotton Quilting Batting • A Pencil • Petersham Ribbon • Scissors • Edging Trim

The amount of material you will need depends on the size of your block. The FB1 (left) is a circular block which measures 11cm across. To make her base, Heidi used 18cm squares of blocking net and silk. Using pieces this size gave her enough material to pull on during the blocking process.

It is always important to cover wooden hat blocks with cling film before using them. This will prevent them from being stained or damaged. Carefully stretch the cling film until it is smooth, otherwise any creases left in the cling film will be blocked into the silk.

8 previous page next page Blocking net, also known as Paris cloth, is a good foundation to use under silk. To begin, the blocking net needs to be slightly dampened, either with a b c steam or a water spray. Don’t soak it, just get it damp enough to make it easy to manipulate. Once damp, stretch the net over the fascinator block until it is completely flat, with no creases or pleats. Hold it in place with blocking pins pushed into the underside of the block (Fig. a) and leave to dry overnight (Fig. b). When it is completely dry, take the pins out and use a pencil to draw a line marking where you would like the edge of the fascinator to be. Heidi’s line is about 1cm from the edge of the block (Fig.c). Remove the blocking net from the block and cut along the pencil line to trim off the excess. Now that the block is free again, spray the square of silk with water to prepare it for blocking. Silk is a very delicate fabric and the colour may be slightly altered by the water. d e f Make sure to spray it evenly so that any colour change is and you don’t get water marks. Hold the silk tightly across the block and stretch it, pulling in the directions of the warp and the weft of the fabric first. On the underside of the block, pin the front and back of the fascinator and then the left and right sides. Next, place pins between each of the first four pins (Fig. d). Keep pulling and pinning until the fabric is as smooth as you can make it (Fig. e) and any creases that do remain are minimal (Fig. f). Leave the silk to dry overnight. When dry, remove it from the block and trim the edge as desired. Make sure to leave roughly 1mm allowance for turning under when you g h i finish the edge later.

9 previous page next page Going back to the trimmed blocking net base, you now need to wire the edge. As shown on the previous page, you will need enough millinery wire to go around the base 1.5 times (Fig. g). Use a whip stitch, sewing two stitches on top of each other at approximately 1cm intervals, to attach the wire (Fig. h). Once finished, the j base should hold its shape (Fig. i). Next, cut a bias strip of fusible cotton interfacing n and place it around the edge of the base, covering the wire. You will need to stretch the interfacing slightly (Fig. j) as you dry iron it very gently - just enough to melt the glue on the interfacing without making a dint in the blocking net (Fig. k). Once you’ve gone all the k way around the edge of the base (Fig. l), you will need another piece of interfacing to cover the top. Use some cotton quilting batting, or similar material, to form a pressing mold on the inside which will protect your hand from the iron. Again using a dry iron, start from the middle and work towards the outside of the circle, without o fixing the edges in place. Go slowly to avoid damaging l the base (Fig. m). When you have done this, trim the interfacing to fit about 5mm above the edge of the base all the way around (Fig. n) and press it into place (Fig. o). Now put your blocking net foundation inside your blocked and trimmed piece m of silk (Fig p). p

10 previous page next page To sew the blocking net and silk together, use a slip stitch, keeping close to the edge so that your stitches cannot be seen (Fig. q). Cut a piece of petersham ribbon which is long enough to fit around the inside edge of the base and overlap itself slightly (Fig. r). Using a hot q r dry iron, press a curve into the ribbon. Use a slip stitch to attach the petersham, starting at the back of the fascinator and using small, neat stitches very close to the edge (Fig s).

Placing an edging trim around the outside of the base adds to the design and hides any obvious stitching. Heidi chose a matching decorative braid and used a stab stitch to attach it to her s t finished base (Fig.t). Heidi Lawton has been sewing and crafting from a very young age and learned millinery while studying Costume Making at college. She and her mother, who is also an expert seamstress, began Extra Special Touch in 2009. They specialise in personalised wedding gifts and, of course, handmade fascinators. Heidi is also trained in CAD CAM computerised embroidery, which she used on water soluble fabric to create the beautiful flower at the centre of her fascinator (right). Don’t miss next month’s HATalk to find out exactly how she did it.

Some of Heidi’s work is currently being shown at For the Love of Stitch, an exhibition at The National Trust’s Killerton House in Devon. You can also see more of her fascinators on her Facebook page, Folksy shop or at www.extraspecialtouch.co.uk.

11 previous page next page An Exclusive Offer... Just For HATalk Subscribers! Now that you’ve seen how to use a fascinator block, why not take the opportunity to buy one of your own? As a reader of HATalk, Guy Morse-Brown Hat Blocks Ltd is offering you one of the following freebies when you purchase a full price FB1 block:

A paperback copy of Fantastic Feathers A Make Hats DVD A Fascinators you can make yourself DVD

The FB1 fascinator block is yours for just £44.00 (£36.67 ex VAT)* and they’ll even throw in free delivery in the UK!

Call Owen Morse-Brown today on +44 (0)1225 899000 to order yours. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. Please quote offer code 11HTFB1 and your HATalk username.

Heidi told us, “The block was a pleasure to work with - a nice neat shape and easy to push blocking pins into, but not so soft that the wood splits. I use the Guy Morse-Brown pins with the big heads to make life even easier. I know I will use this block 100s of times!” She has already used the FB1 to create the two fascinators pictured here. As you can see, experimenting with different colours and trimmings opens up endless design possibilities. Heidi shaped the flower on the brown fascinator (above) with flower making tools and made the pink one (left) using the process which will be featured here next month.

Check out the other Guy Morse-Brown fascinator blocks and their full range of crowns, brims and accessories at www.hatblocks.co.uk.

This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer from Guy Morse- Brown Hat Blocks LTD, How2Hats or HATalk. *Price correct as of March 2011 and may be subject to change.

12 previous page next page The A to Z of Hats Part 18: U & V

Ushanka - A thick, Russian fur hat with flaps which can be tied up onto the crown or worn over the ears. - Any kind of fabric worn over part, or all, of the head or face, either as a fashion item or for religious purposes. In the West, long white have been popular for brides since the 19th century. Millinery veiling generally has a diamond pattern and is made out of nylon or polyester.

Velour Felt - A fur felt with a texture similar to that of velvet. Velvet - A closely woven fabric with a short pile and a soft, rich texture. The lovely pillbox pictured here, made by Lynn Pilley, incorporates both velvet and millinery veiling.

Victor, Sally - A prolific and influential American milliner who was born in 1905. Sally trained in her aunt’s New York hat shop and then worked in the millinery department of Macy’s. She married Sergiv Victor, head of wholesale millinery company Serge, in 1927. She sold hats under her own name from the 1930s until her retirement in 1968. She was featured in the March 30, 1959 edition of Time Magazine.

Visca - A man made straw, originating in Japan, which is used to weave millinery hoods. It looks like parasisal but is slightly coarser.

Visor - A partial brim, usually at the front of a hat, which can also be called a peak. Vogue - The most influential fashion magazine of all time, begun in the USA in 1892 and now boasting eighteen separate national editions each month. With over a million readers, the pages of Vogue have always been a coveted place for milliners to showcase their hats. The Condé Nast blog recently featured a series called The Vogue of Hats, documenting Vogue’s portrayal of headwear over the years.

W - Z hat terms will finish off this series next month - don’t miss it!

13 previous page next page This Month’s GIVE AWAY Have you ever been out for a walk when the colour of a flower petal, or the glistening of the sun on water, gave you an idea for a hat? Or perhaps you’ve been out for a coffee when a potential customer came up to you and described exactly the kind of hat she wanted for the races? Inspiration and important information often come when we’re out and about and it’s a good idea to be ready. Have a little notebook handy wherever you go and you’ll be able to jot down your notes and sketches before you forget them.

This month, we’re giving away three little notebooks just for this purpose. They are unlined and measure approximately 15 x 10.5cm. The cover picture (right), was taken by famous photographer Kurt Hutton. As you can see, it is of a stylish woman in a hat - busy making notes of her own.

To enter the draw to win one of the three notebooks being given away, email us before May 4th, 2011 at PRIZE DRAW RULES [email protected] Entry to the draw is free to subscribers to HATalk and with ‘notebook’ as the title. no further purchase is necessary. Only one entry per subscriber. Entry is not open to employees or associates Please include your name and full address. of the publishers or to their families. The winners will be drawn by an independent person two weeks after The winners in last month’s ‘Brimreed’ draw were: publication date. They will be notified by email and their names published in the next issue of HATalk and on Iveta Brown, Corrie Feenstra & Julia Taylor Facebook. The organiser's decision is final.

14 previous page next page Send us your questions and comments! Do you have a problem needing a solution? Or information that you’d like to share? Email us! [email protected] Question: I’d like to enter a millinery competition. Are there any coming up soon?

Answer: Entering a competition will stretch your creative and practical skills while giving you the chance to win great prizes and get your hats noticed. Unfortunately, the popular UK hat competition previously run by William Hill, Who Wants to be a Milli-Naire, will not be held this year, but you can enter the following three millinery competitions right now. Get in touch with the organisers directly for full details and entry forms.

Estivales du en Quercy International Hat Competition - France Closing Date: June 30th, 2011 Website: www.estivales-duchapeau-enquercy.fr/ Special HATalk English Speaking Contact: Lizzie Hulme - [email protected]

The NHV’s Met de Hoed de Wereld Rond Competition - The Netherlands Closing Date: July 1st, 2011 Website: www.hoedenvereniging.nl Contact: Marcella de Bruijen - [email protected]

The Bridport Hat Festival Hat Competition - UK Closing Date: August 20th, 2011 Website: www.bridporthatfest.org

The competitions listed below will be taking place later in the year. Click on the links to visit the relevant websites. For a rough translation of any these sites, try using Google Translate.

The Atelier-Musée du Chapeau Chazelles-sur-Lyon International Hat Competition - France The International Hat Competition of the Alessandria Hat Festival - Italy The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers of London Felt Hat Competition - UK

We will keep you up to date with the latest on millinery competitions in the How2hats newsletter. If you’re not already receiving this free newsletter, you can sign up here.

15 previous page next page The BACK PAGE

We join milliners everywhere in offering our heartfelt congratulations to William and Catherine... The eyes of the world will soon be upon London for an event which could have been taken straight from the pages of the most romantic of fairy tales. Prince William has chosen his bride, Kate Middleton, and the Royal Wedding is set to take place on April 29th, 2011 at 11:00am in Westminster Abbey. Crowds will line the Capital’s streets and Royal Parks to see the newlyweds pass in their horsedrawn carriage.

As well as congratulating, us milliners should also be thanking the future Princess Catherine. Taking the lead from Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, Kate has been quick to promote the headwear industry by wearing hats and fascinators wherever she goes. Her natural beauty and obvious fashion sense have captured the hearts of the public and the press and more and more ladies are doing their best to emulate her style. We have already had reports of milliners having orders for “Kate Middleton style” fascinators and we can’t wait to see what she’ll be wearing on her

Copyright 2010 Mario Testino Copyright 2010 Mario big day. Legendary milliner Philip Treacy has been commissioned by One of the official portrait photographs the Palace to create headpieces for the Bridal . Miss Middleton is taken for the engagement of Prince expected to wear a veil for the ceremony and then to change into another William and Miss Catherine Middleton. outfit later in the day. The wedding will be televised everywhere, so get your sketch pads out and prepare to be inspired by what promises to be one of the biggest hat wearing events of the century! Full details about the Royal Wedding can be found at www.officialroyalwedding2011.org.

Are you planning a hat wearing competition or hat related event in honour of the Royal Wedding? Tell us about it by emailing [email protected] or posting details on our Facebook page.

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