A milliner sees the world differently. Once you start designing hats, everything becomes a potential source of inspiration: the curve of a building, the way light hits a flower, the colour of an ocean at sunset. Here is how I think about design, and where the ideas actually come from.
"My eyes are always working. I notice shapes, colours, textures, and movements that other people walk straight past. That observation is not something I switch on and off. It is how I see the world."
— Kathryn Lee
Inspiration Is Everywhere
I find design ideas in the most unexpected places. A vintage Doris Day film might suggest a silhouette. A sunset might suggest a colour palette. A piece of coral at a beach market might suggest a texture. The trick is not finding inspiration. It is recognising it when it appears.
- Vintage fashion: Classic films, old magazines, and vintage clothing are a constant source. I ask myself: what would Audrey Hepburn wear to the races today?
- Architecture: The curves of the Sydney Opera House, the lines of a Federation-era building, the geometry of a modern skyscraper. Structure in architecture translates directly to structure in millinery.
- Nature: The spiral of a shell, the layering of petals, the iridescence of a beetle wing. Nature is the original designer.
- Art and colour: A gallery visit can reset my entire colour palette for a season. Paintings teach you about tone, contrast, and composition.
The Design Process
Every hat starts with a feeling. A client comes in and tells me about her event, her outfit, her mood. I translate that feeling into shapes and materials. I pull blocks from my collection of over 170 vintage forms. I match straws, felts, feathers, and silks to the mood. Then I start building.
Why "Modern Vintage"
I call my aesthetic "modern vintage" because it captures the tension between old and new that drives everything I make. I use vintage hat blocks from the 1920s to the 1960s but dress them in contemporary colours and materials. The result is something that feels timeless and fresh at once.
The Question That Starts Every Design
Before I pick up a single piece of material, I ask: how does the woman wearing this want to feel? Confident? Romantic? Bold? Elegant? The answer shapes every decision that follows. The hat always begins with the feeling.
