Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Guide to Ellen Christine Couture Millinery


We're deep in the heart of racing season. Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones has just closed in the Manhattan location at The Bard Graduate Center. Brides are descending upon us like so many hummingbirds. We've just begun online S/S 2012 on several new sites. Our customer base is expanding. Our inhouse custom appointments are multiplying. Strawbery Banke Museum is awaiting it's opening, with one of our pieces in the exhibit this summer. Right! did I mention racing season????
I'm sure I'll remember something else, but for now, that's the overview. And here's the breakdown:

To add one of our pieces to your hat collection, we've now made it easier for aficionados. We're on the Metropolitan Opera Shop site with a beautiful capsule collection inspired by their opera productions. Our favorite this week is the Manon (the Big White Hat), inspired by the glorious piece that the Met's costume shop/millinery studio, headed by Janet Linville, designed. What a way to open up the spring season at Lincoln Center!

Hatagories, an online access shopping site that is a branch of My Fair Lady, a hat concern in NJ, has just added Ellen Christine to it's roster of hat stars. We're so happy, and as soon as the images were live, one of our little "Gigi" doll's hats sold. Another of the Gigis is on the Met site, too, in natural parasisal, with a nod, of course, to Manon. And the extraordinary voice of Anna Nebtrenko.

Our friend, Geoffrey, an intrepid hat designer, developer, merchandiser et al, has opened a page for designers on his site , too. But on here, as we have our own point of view, we have chosen to offer our more fashion forward pieces. Whereas when we're collaborating with a merchandiser, they tend to choose pieces suited to their audience. We have no qualms about showing off, so Geoffrey has given us that platform!

Our own EllenChristine.com site is an ongoing archival record of our classics. Still offered at our original prices, and custom designed and made, these hats tell a story of our evolution, and demonstrate just a few possibilities for hat loving customers . Keep an eye out for this site to begin it's own evolution, as we begin to implement changes. And oh, yes, the prices will be different, so you might want to take advantage now.

Custom appointments are accommodated as we have space. In New York City, that means who can we squeeze in, because, as always, there are way too many last minute desperados out there. We like to work with our brides in a calm, creative manner, and so the more time available, the happier we'll be. For the Kentucky Derby, and Derby parties, I'm sure we can find something, even the day before, because we always have a great selection of hats suitable for an over-the-top event.

Our Spring/Summer activities include trunk shows, hat parties, High Teas, and a trek to new Hampshire, for the Passion for Fashion Gala, at the aforementioned Strawbery Banke Museum. Catch up with us before July, when we're off to France for inspiration and opera! It's a fully packed 2 months, and we're so ready!
Hats on, everybody!

www.metoperashop.org
www.hatagories.com
www.thatwayhat.com
www.ellenchristine.com
www.strawberybanke.org

Don't forget about Facebook (Ellen Christine Couture) and Twitter (@ellenchristine), where we update constantly.