I’m often asked what provides the initial concept for a hat or headpiece – in essence, what are the sources of my millinery inspiration? When thinking about the answer to this question I thought it would make an interesting topic for a post – exploring where the inspiration to create a particular hat or headpiece comes from.
Put succinctly the sources of inspiration are completely individual, based of course on personal experiences and preferences, these effects are always overlaid by exposure to current fashion trends as well as the impact of creative and historical influences. To explain a little about where my personal millinery inspiration comes from, I thought I would take an example, in this case, “Lost in Space”, and write about the inspiration and concept behind the headpiece, as well as the journey to create the headpiece, pictured above.
Lost in Space was my millinery submission for the space-themed competition with a requirement to include some recycled materials, staged in September 2024 at the Millinery Meet Up of the North American Millinery Group in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
It was during the Spring of 2024 when I had already made several couture headpieces featuring various wrapping techniques, using recycled wool ribbon, that Meg Fletcher, a young local designer approached me suggesting a collaboration.
Meg was launching a cutting-edge fashion collection featuring various local themes she had created especially for the collection. The main inspiration was her relationship with the rural environment of our county, in particular the area with which we are both familiar – that of North Northumberland.
Meg was keen to work with local creative talent for her collection “Home Ground” and commissioned me to create two headpieces for the collection. She also worked closely with other creatives including our local blacksmith, a fine artist and a young jewellery designer. If you would like to read more about the various creatives involved along the way in this collaborative journey, please click on the links highlighted in bold, through the text.
Earlier in the Spring of 2024, I had already made several couture crown halo headpieces featuring various wrapping techniques, these pieces had been finished using recycled wool ribbon remnants that I had sourced locally.
Coincidentally Meg’s headpiece concept for her collection also featured a “wrapping technique” over a slim crown inspired horn-like structure. Once I had created a prototype, together we made the final adjustments to the design.
The final commission was for two contrasting elongated horned headpieces wrapped in recycled wool ribbon that I had already sourced. Both pieces feature a contemporary interpretation of a halo style, with a horn-like decoration.
The headpiece was named Shadow Horn – and the two colourways – a light wool grey and a charcoal version, featured different horn treatments, seen here in the images by photogragher Jack Heron.
In these images by Jack, model Bex Masters wears the Dark Shadow Horn headpiece, the Jersey Shadow dress with piping detail and a dramatic knot draped back.
The Shadow Horn headpiece collection was launched at Meg’s stunning launch show “Home Ground”. The show, in front of an audience of over 200, accompanied by live medieval music was set in the Inner Bailey of Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, in mid-August 2024. You can watch a recording of the show on YouTube using this link.
Alnwick Castle is the seat of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. The castle has been used as the setting for many film shoots including Downton Abbey and several of the Harry Potter films.
In these images by Jack Heron, model Felicity Rose wears the Light Shadow Horn headpiece, and the Liz Cape with the Corby Dress. The cape features Meg’s Northumberland toile with print illustrations by fine artist Liz Newton.
By this stage, having now made four or five variations on the horn theme, and appreciating the various potential interpretations of the design I created another option. This somewhat softer version, made in a similar method, was wrapped in recycled shredded denim, and finished with upcycled vintage rosary beads. For sheer fun the ends of the horns were twisted back, reminiscent of Princess Leia! I wore the denim version to the joyful launch of the Home Ground, in August 2024.
I’m pictured here at Meg’s launch show in the Alnwick Castle Guest Hall with The Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, Dr. Caroline Pryer (R) model Bex Masters; and Carol Wallace (L). All four of us are wearing headpieces I have created.
So, when thinking about the sources of inspiration for a sci-fi-inspired headpiece for the Millinery Meet Up competition, taking place in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I felt that I might be able to utilise some of the techniques I had used earlier in the season for the Shadow headpieces as part of my design. This time however I created a fluid open-ended halo-style garland – aiming to fulfil the sci-fi aspect of the challenge!
The essence of my inspiration is of travel through the universe to a distant planet. Inspired by the “cool” imagery of The Frozen Planet concept I decided to use a neutral palette to unite the various threads of my sci-fi concept. Like the earlier wrapped pieces, the basic material used was sparterie, a vintage form of millinery buckram. This was overlaid with stretch glitter fabric, finished with a crin visor, recycled plastic bottles, and vintage rosary beads.
The journey through space concept is playfully emphasised by the use of the graduated wrapped technique around the garland, to suggest the rotating route taken by a space capsule to reach the distant destination of the Frozen Planet. The shredded plastic bottles are reminiscent of vapour trials around the planet, whilst the iridescent visor has been added to complement and balance the design reminding us of the visors worn by astronauts.
As often happens with millinery the process of making Lost in Space was a story of initial inspiration followed by the rolling development of the concept. Working through the various development stages from creating the initial halo shape, the design concept developed hugely from my early pieces which had been blocked traditionally over wooden blocks.
It was the development and making of the free-form horn-inspired shape with all its various processes, followed the experimentation involved in creating the shaped visor, that allowed the design to develop organically. In my experience “organic development” of a design and its concept is essential for spontaneity, which will eventually shine through in the finished hat or headpiece. Just in case you are wondering Lost in Space was very well received at Millinery Meet Up, where I was delighted to receive extremely positive feedback from my peers and the international tutors, and I am now planning to return to MMU in 2026!
The images of Lost in Space were shot in the Flat Iron Square, Asheville, Tennessee, in late September. Of all the individuals involved in the collaborations I have described, a special mention must go to photographer Ruslan Tumash and model Kelan Ross. It was a dreadful afternoon in Asheville, but despite this Kelan and Ruslan kept clicking the shutter! What none of us could have known was that it was the afternoon before Hurricane Helene struck Asheville, an event that so devasted this lovely city and the surrounding area.
The professional images credited in this post were taken by creatives who grasped the nature of the artistic inspiration, appreciating the concepts being explored, which their imagery ably represents. I have credited the originators of these images but must of course give a special mention and huge credit to Meg Fletcher, the local award-winning designer who is just starting out on her creative career.
Meg has already overcome a number of personal challenges however despite this she has created her first post-university collection by applying dedication, tenacity and sheer hard work, illustrating huge creative and technical mastery of her art.
Inspired by her local environment in “Home Ground” Meg, supported by an enthusiastic team as well as her dedicated and incredibly supportive parents and partner, envisioned a Northumberland-themed collection worthy, in my opinion, of a contemporary film set! Now I can’t wait to see her next project come to fruition.