How did you become interested in millinery?

When I saw the movie “My Fair Lady”, it began my love for fabulous romantic hats.

Where and why did you learn millinery?

I am self-taught, I tore up hats and figured out how they were made, as I put them back together and studied books on the subject.

How long have you been a milliner for? Where else did you work?

I have made hats for myself and friends for four years.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

Wherever I go on my travels I like to hunt antique fabrics, lace, old jewelry, plants, feathers indigenous to the areas. They renew my inspiration to create sensational hats for my clients.

What has been your most enjoyable commission?

My most enjoyable commission is for my promenade hats I make and design for myself, as there are no restrictions and I can be as bold and flamboyant. I enjoy the creativity part of each hat I make, they take on their own personality.

How would you describe your style of hats?

I like each hat to be sensational, to be the focal point in a room and have it enhance the looks of the wearer of the hat and give the client great self esteem, I make romantic, conventional and flamboyant original hats with a flair.

Who do you make hats for?

I make hats for ladies in hat clubs, events, horse races, Easter Promenades in Charleston (South Carolina), hats to wear to church and “after five” cocktail hats.

What materials and techniques do you favor?

I look in vintage stores and places that carry beautiful and unusual ribbons, feathers, even dried florals and preserved greenery. I like my hats to be original; each one is a one of a kind and makes the hat wearer happy and proud to be wearing it.

Any other interests?

I am an avid reader and in a literary club for 25 years, golfing, I am in hat clubs and had my own wallcovering business for 25 years and just retired from it. Hats are very much my permanent interest as they are great conversational pieces and I truly enjoy wearing them, as well as creating new ones. I have an interest in growing my own herbs to use for gourmet cooking.

I have been involved in the artistry of millinery… which had its inception 25 years ago in Hawaii.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

I am inspired daily by the creed of the late Wilma Rae Gordon of Los Angeles whom I studied under. “Your CREATIVITY is a gift from God; what you do with that CREATIVITY is your gift to God.”

How dow you describe your style of hats?

My creations are “one of a kind” cocktail hats using unique fabrics, straws and embellishments. Experimenting with new and unsual media fuels my ongoing quest of creating a “one of a kind” wearable piece of art.

Who do you make hats for?

My hats are designed for THAT woman who makes a statement whenever she enters a room.

What has been your most enjoyable commission?

The most enjoyable as well as rewarding commission was seeing my hats on the runway at the Palace of Fine Arts at the San Francisco’s Fashion Week 2005 in the Lily Samii’s Couture Collection.

Anything else people may be intested in?

My current collection will be on exhibit at the San Mateo City Hall, O’Farrell Street, in San Mateo, California, for the entire month of November 2005.

Everything about my life has been directly or indirectly associated with fashion, fabric and creation. For this I can thank my mother who signed me up for sewing classes at the age of 11. As I was growing up, fun for me meant designing patterns, making clothes, dying with natural dyes, batiking, weaving, embroidery, leatherwork and anything else I could get my hands on. I love to learn and experiment. I was the owner of my business for 13 years, where I designed and handmade draperies in the traditional fashion. I created elaborate designs using the finest of fabrics and trims, and had a style seen in many classical European houses. Due to rather serious physical injuries I was forced to make a life change. I spent about a year trying random jobs and quickly found that my life lacked the creative outlet I so desperately need. Having been a hat enthusiast for most of my life, the decision to learn the art of millinery seemed a natural and healthy progression.

Where and how did you learn millinery?

Most of the long time greats were gone or retired by the time I started. Left to my own resources, and living in a rural area, I scoured the internet for any information I could find.

It was my fortune to find “From the Neck Up” and “Classic Millinery Techniques”. From there I was quickly on my way. I started at chapter one and methodically trained myself. My biggest breakthrough was the day I realized that hat making was very similar to upholstering furniture – the methods and techniques of stretching fabric over a frame are uncannily alike. The first hat I ever made was a wire frame design, covered in buckram, interlined and covered with silk dupioni fabrics.

I am already seated in the plush surrounds of the Hotel Windsor’s grand salon, when Phillip strides into the room. He is running a bit behind time. Unhappy with the table we have been allocated, Phillip requests a corner location.

Phillip is apologetic as he explains, “I was trained in the French manner – it is all about presentation. We will be seen to greater advantage looking out into the room like this.”

He continues, “You see? It permeates all aspects of life. Whether it be making hats or whatever, always put your best foot forward. I know it is a little old fashioned these days, but it is a hard habit to break.”

I ask when Phillip first became interested in millinery. “I suppose when I became interested in glamorous things. Will I say 4 or 5 years old?”, he muses. “But I didn’t actually think of it as an independent activity until I went to work in the workrooms of William Beale, Mr Individual Hats. He was perhaps the only truly spontaneous person I have ever met. Proof that spontaneity can be life threatening. His relationship with electricity, for instance was quite… well, casual. He ran the only millinery room in Melbourne in the 80s and I learnt to make hats there.”

Phillip adds, “The Head Milliner, Phyl Ross, and I used to talk about ‘thinking milliners’. It was a great training. ‘Thinking milliners’ are always looking to innovate and improve techniques and aesthetics and I have found that it makes one experiment with technique and question convention. It also tends to lead one into trouble. You get ideas above your station.”

When I remark that Phillip’s career in the hat world has been quite varied, he isn’t very forth coming. “Well, I have always gone where the work is… but I have done nothing other than make hats from the outset.”

I resort to my research to ask about his time in London and later as Head Milliner at the Australian Ballet.

“In London I worked for theatre, films, television, as well as fashion. I think that people were amused by an Australian male as an arbiter of questionable taste back in the mother country. Australian ingenuity intrigued them too. I would make my own hat trimmings from off cuts, whereas the milliners there were used to copious bounty and reached into the box for French roses and curled plumes and the like. I was very useful for any film set during the austerity years of World War II.”

About the Australian Ballet, Phillip noted, “Yes, a person really needs to be a problem solver to do that job. Mind you, nothing today compares to the work that was done there in the fledgling years of the early 70s. The makers had the genius spark then.”

“You are known for the intricacy of your hats”, I remark.

“Yes, during the 90s I experimented quite a lot with complexity of making. So that the hat needed little embellishment beyond the textures and techniques employed. Consequently it was not uncommon for brims to be made of 4 or 5 separately blocked pieces and crowns of 2 or 3 different pieces. It seems so overblown today, but that sort of showiness was the vogue then. Technically it was very challenging. I had to change my approach, however, when I saw a Donna Karan suit that looked like it had been in a shipwreck. When the client collected the hat, she felt that the hat put the suit to shame. It was quite the reverse. It was a seminal moment in my work. Fashion had shifted and so must my eye and taste. Fashions change. Just like all those adorable vintage styles and trims that have been popular for the last 2 years… suddenly monotonous!”

I asked Phillip to expand his thoughts on where modern millinery is heading. “The business of millinery was until recently the actual making of hats, but the production work that is coming out of the factories of Asia forces us all to re evaluate our role. Hats from Shanghai or Manila are equally pulled over the block by hand, etc., etc. If the factory owners in Asia were more savvy to western taste, their product could well dominate the market. I think that hats in the future will become quite literally party hats.

How did you become interested in millinery?

I’ve always adored the power of hats because they can change the appearance of the person, wearing it in seconds. There’s nothing else that has this instant power. Changing them not only on the outside but on the inside as well.

Where and why did you learn millinery?

Art Academy department Fashion Design, Maastricht; Hanna Hnickova (Czechoslovakian) milliner; work experience, Philip Treacy, London.

How long have you been a milliner for? Where else have you work?

I graduated in 1993 at the Academy for Visual Arts in Maastricht and went to seek for professional milliners who could teach me the old craftsmanship. These milliners are very hard to find in the Netherlands. After some time I met Hanna Hnickova, a Czechoslovakian lady; she began to teach me. I had learned a whole lot on my training period with Philip Treacy in London, but Hanna was kind enough to teach me; sometimes I even took private lessons.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

I have had a bit of a problem working with themes. I need a lot of freedom to create. So for me it is difficult to send in hats for contests, as there’s always a theme. Themes like contrast (atelier musee du chapeau, chazelle-sur-lyon), being such a broad theme, made it possible for me to create without losing my freedom, which is very important to me. But I can find inspiration in all kind of things around me, nature naturally is one of them.

What has been your most enjoyable commission?

The most enjoyable commissions are the one you give yourself. Give yourself space and freedom to create whatever comes to your mind. No restrictions, restrictions kill my creativity.

How did you become interested in millinery?

I’ve been fond of hats since I was a child… I remember going to department stores with my mother and my aunt, and always checking the directories for toys and millinery. When as a teenager I got my first paycheck for dancing in the “Nutcracker”, I headed over to the French Room at Marshall Field’s and bought myself beautiful little indigo blue crushed velvet hat with small curled feathers all around the crown. My friends thought I was crazy since hats were totally out of style at the time, at least for teenagers. My mother has a similar story of taking the first money she made in her hometown in Estonia and purchasing a hat for herself, so perhaps it’s genetic!

Where and why did you learn millinery?

In New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology millinery certificate program from Ann Albrizio and the other marvelous instructors there including who trained at Balenciaga in Paris and shared her expertise with those lucky enough to get into her couture millinery courses at FIT.

How long have you been a milliner for? Where else did you work?

I’ve been a milliner for 15 years, counting some of the years I was in school because almost immediately people began stopping me on the streets of New York to buy the hats off my head! I had a very brief experience working for Suzanne in NYC, which was wonderful, but I’d already decided to return to Chicago before that, so the timing was off. My other work experience has mainly been in ballet and other dance companies. I was also a personal trainer for the years after I switched from ballet to modern dance and while I was at FIT, which worked out very well since some of my clients became my first hat customers.

How did you become interested in millinery?

It was serendipity. I was always involved in fashion, sewing, art, making things, collecting bits and pieces of decorative stuff, etc., but never thought of hat-making as a career. Then, when I was at a transition point in my life, fed up with the corporate world, my best friend registered for a textile design course at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She learned of the millinery program and decided that it would be perfect for me. And she kept nagging me until I registered for a course. It was love at first sight. The moment I walked into that millinery studio, I felt that I had come home.

Where (and when) did you learn millinery?

I took the 4-part program at FIT and got my certificate in 1992.

How long have you been a milliner? Where else did you work?

I actually sold a few hats before finishing the FIT program. After getting my certificate, I worked for a short stint at Eric Javits.

After working for Javits, I started selling wholesale, working out of my apartment. A big help at that point (around 1993, 1994) was a very large wholesale order from Barney’s, for which I was fortunate to get paid, as they were on the verge of bankruptcy. I was able to keep most of that money, as my overhead was nonexistent.

For 2 to 3 years prior to 1998, I shared a studio in the East Village with an associate, and sold my hats in her shop. Then in 1998 I opened my own store in the East Village. Since then, I have sold mostly retail, with a smaller proportion of wholesale.

How did you become interested in millinery?

It was serendipity. I was always involved in fashion, sewing, art, making things, collecting bits and pieces of decorative stuff, etc., but never thought of hat-making as a career. Then, when I was at a transition point in my life, fed up with the corporate world, my best friend registered for a textile design course at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She learned of the millinery program and decided that it would be perfect for me. And she kept nagging me until I registered for a course. It was love at first sight. The moment I walked into that millinery studio, I felt that I had come home.

Where (and when) did you learn millinery?

I took the 4-part program at FIT and got my certificate in 1992.

How long have you been a milliner? Where else did you work?

I actually sold a few hats before finishing the FIT program. After getting my certificate, I worked for a short stint at Eric Javits.

After working for Javits, I started selling wholesale, working out of my apartment. A big help at that point (around 1993, 1994) was a very large wholesale order from Barney’s, for which I was fortunate to get paid, as they were on the verge of bankruptcy. I was able to keep most of that money, as my overhead was nonexistent.

For 2 to 3 years prior to 1998, I shared a studio in the East Village with an associate, and sold my hats in her shop. Then in 1998 I opened my own store in the East Village. Since then, I have sold mostly retail, with a smaller proportion of wholesale.

How did you become interested in millinery?

I discovered hats when I was at college. During my first lesson in millinery, I knew by the end of the class that this is what I wanted to pursue for my career. I had never thought about hats before this class even though I’d been studying fashion for 2 years already.

Where did you learn millinery?

London College of Fashion studying fashion. Millinery was part of the course. I specialized after my first millinery class. Then I did a 2-year apprenticeship with Fredrick Foz after college.

How long have you been a milliner for? Where else did you work?

Including the apprenticeship I have been a milliner for coming up to 17 years. I also worked for Stephen Jones for 2 years which was inspiring, he’s so experimental. I’ve had my business for 13 years.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

Can be anywhere in the world, from the street hat I live in to exhibitions, travel, films, etc.

What has been your most enjoyable commission?

Love doing one-off hats for advertising companies at Ascot. The more unusual the better!

How would you describe you style of hats?

Feminine, unusual, modern, eye-catching, flattering, couture and original.

Who do you make hats for?

We have a bridal range for modern brides. We make one-off couture designer pieces for occasions – races, weddings, barmitzvah parties.

What materials and techniques do you favor?

Finding interesting vintage fabrics to make cocktail hats. Interesting straws and silks for larger hats. And of course lots of feathers! All hand blocked on handmade blocks.

Any other interests?

Walking my dog, spending time with family and friends, checking out new and interesting places, cooking, eating, cinema, travel.

Paris Kevin Kyne 

Interview with Millinery.Info 2006

Paris Kyne started in the millinery trade 16 years ago, firstly as a hat blocker for Melbourne hats back when they were in Collingwood. Then he moved on to take a job with William Beale is a milliner where he stayed for two and a half years untill Mr Beale passed away. So time to move on again, this time to Martin Penner which was still in Flinders Lane at that time, He stayed there for two or so years as artistic director, then took a few months off. Next it was time to open his own bussines, so he purchased Helen Mobray Millinery in Malvern, renovated and opened Michael F Kyne THE MILLINER, which he ran for six years untill he moved the bussines to Toorak Village five years ago where he re named it Paris Kyne THE MILLINER. The next change occors on the first of May, another revamp and compleat over hall.

The main inspiration for his work comes form the Art Nouveau movement which he studies.

The most enjoyable commission is also the one that was the most fun, the Nicky and Paris Hilton hats for Darby day 2003. The white pick-a-boo Paris Hilton is now in the collection of the Australian Racing Museum, and now on display at Fed Square, Melbourne. Everything about the Hiltons is a party and their visit to the salon in 2003 was a party.

The Paris Kyne style can be described as clean lines, no over embelishment. The shape of the hat or headpiece can speak for itself and the trimming should always evolve and grow out of the work not look like an afterthought.

The Paris Kyne client is mainly a race follower, thougth Jewish and other Religious clients form part of the client base. Favored materials include wire, feathers and felt. Techniques would include blocking on any of the 702 hat blocks in the collection and shopping (shopping must be a techniqe somewhere in the world)

Other interest include pumping iron, shopping and collecting Tim Burton stuff.

The exhibition  “The Master Milliners Muse” was be held in September, 2005 at Tasma Terrace. It looked at 13 pieces all commissioned by one client over the last 13 years.