People often ask what a typical day looks like in my atelier. The honest answer is that no two days are the same, but here is a glimpse into how a bespoke hat comes to life, from the first sketch to the final stitch.
"My inspiration comes from vintage fashion, classic films, and the glamour of bygone eras. I am particularly influenced by Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, and Rita Hayworth. Their confidence and elegance live in every piece I make."
— Kathryn Lee
Morning: Sketching and Planning
My day starts with coffee and my sketchbook. I review current commissions, sketch new ideas, and plan which blocks, materials, and trimmings I will work with. I keep a wall of fabric swatches, feather samples, and colour references that I update constantly. Inspiration can come from anything: a vintage film I watched the night before, a flower in the garden, or the curve of a building I walked past.
Midday: Blocking and Building
The physical work of hat making fills the middle of the day. Steaming and stretching sinamay or straw over wooden blocks, pinning, shaping, and letting pieces dry. If I am working with felt, there is wetting, pulling, and pressing. This is the most meditative part of the process. Just me, the material, and the block.
Afternoon: Trimming and Finishing
Once a blocked shape is dry, I move to trimming. Hand-stitching silk flowers, curling feathers, attaching veiling, and adding internal combs and petersham ribbon for comfort. Every stitch is done by hand, and I check each piece from every angle to make sure it looks beautiful from the front, back, and both sides.
Evening: The Business Side
I end the day answering enquiries, sending progress photos to clients, and planning upcoming consultations. Running a studio involves as much communication as craftsmanship. But the conversations are always about beautiful things, and that makes the business side a genuine pleasure.
The Design Aesthetic
I call my approach "modern vintage" millinery. I take vintage shapes and materials and reimagine them in contemporary ways. My collection of over 170 vintage hat blocks, some dating back to the 1920s, is the foundation of everything I create.
