Saturday, June 26, 2010

Last Call for Hat Stack


Well, hello, and here we go.tomorrow is the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. With the entire world gone mad for the World Cup, sports awareness is at an hormonal high, and all the world is watching. Us, that is, at the VCPC, on Governor's Island. Prince Harry is coming, Prince Seeiso is coming, and a raft (really a VIP Ferry) full of celebrities are sure to drop by.
No stranger to last minute requests, at Ellen Christine Millinery,we are frantically hatting it up until the last possible second this evening. Celebrities? Done! President of Belvedere? Done!
Host Chair Committee? Done!
From the sound of things, hats are flying off shelves all over town, and it will be the definitive hat occasion in New York City Social Circles!
Finally, something for everyone........with champagne...how much better can this get, o hatted ones?
We start off our very full day tomorrow with an appearance on Weekend Today New York, doing a hat beat, and setting the scene for the event. What to wear? What hat?
Join the fun, come to Governor's Island tomorrow, and for God's sake, wear a fabulous hat!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

My Fair Wedding : New Season



Sunday night, Ellen Christine Millinery shows up on David Tutera's My Fair Wedding at 10 p.m., We TV. That's the plug....here's the story:

Out of the blue, we got a call from a producer for the show. We had worked with David Tutera, when we did the headpieces for his runway show last season. so now, the question was, do we want to do a segment on My Fair Weddings?
As any good ham knows, we never turn down an opportunity to be out there, although I'm basically a behind the scenes kind of gal. So the wheels were set in motion, and the adventure began.

The day of the shoot, the crew arrived, set up,moved, moved again, re-arranged, and set up yet again, to have the scene ready. Our gig was to present three options for the Bride in the story, and our Bride wanted fantasy glamour vintage...1920's, to be precise. So we offered them a variety of styles from the era, with modern twists.
Everyone who knows Ellen Christine , know we are the Flapper destination, (see our editorial layouts in Vogue, Sept 2007, and May 2010).
History is our thing.
David arrived, dapper gentleman that he is; Bride arrived, all a-flutter and excited; shooting commenced. And it was in the can after a few hours. There are a few out-takes that should show up on a blooper program somewhere, but I'll be they won't! Something funny always happens on set. Now it's up to you to tell me what you think of the episode....on Monday!
I'll let you all watch the episode to see what we came up with, and what an incredible wedding David produced out of his hat for this couple!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

CBS Does Hat Day


It's hat now or never, sun worshippers! To promote National Hat Day in the Sun, CBS morning show on Tuesday has invited the Milliners Guild of New York and the Headwear Association to the plaza outside the CBS morning tv show, to distribute hats and to show our wacky and wild strength in numbers.
Be there, or be watching and let the television nation know we mean hat business.
7-8 a.m. of course! 59th and 5th Avenue, next to the Apple Store

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Head 'Em Up


Crushed into a corner giving interview after interview is not the worst thing, really. If you're out on a New York Street, surrounded by our little garden at Ellen Christine Millinery, with the sun high, and the temperature just right, it's fun. Just me and my dead bird (the one on my hat), giving forth, expounding upon the glories of hat wearing,and the excitement being generated for the upcoming Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic.
The rooms that comprise the shop and atelier filled with hat lovers, press, and lots of champagne, thanks to Veuve Clicquot. A glass in one hand, and a hat in the other is my idea of heaven!
When lots of different styles surround you, it happens: you want to try things on that your head has never been near in its life. Hats happen, and the ice begins to crack. Ah, Spring! Ah, Summer!
Ah, The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic! Here we come!

In the photo: unabashed fans: Lisa Weier, from Conde Nast Traveler, Samantha Barnes, from Veuve Clicquot, and Linda Zagaria, long time friend and client
Photo by: Sebastien Moraitis

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Fascinatin' Rhythm


Do it up like Fred and Ginger (for those unfamiliar with that segment of popular culture: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), in a whirlwind air of Art Deco. Wear a twist of silk, cultivated with a feather and a mysterious drape of a veil, and you have a headpiece.
The fascinator, or it's younger sister, the Bonbon, holds it's own amongst the broadbrimmed hats of the serious hat aficionadas. Presuming that's all on a female head, of course. The French Bibi, and the Calot, widely known in the 1930's, but left un-named pretty much nowadays by the younger set, fit into the fascinator category as well. Smallish, appropriate at a cocktail party, or the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, the Bibi can be charming, fetching, and even regal, should it be covered in rhinestones. The Calot, or half-hat, serves a dual purpose: covering the crown of the head for religious and/or Royal Enclosure rules of respect purposes, it can be treated as a headband, and worn much the same way. Often seen on the heads of glamourous movie stars in the 1950's (Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe) at their watering holes of yore, the Calot was a horse of many colors. Draped in fabric to match an ensemble, or a contrasting textile, it could be beaded, feathered, veiled. It could go to a wedding, or on a yacht. Usually flat, and a tad subtle, the Calot was very well behaved.
Get to know some of these little hats, and let them introduce you to their big sisters.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Pony Up for Prince Harry



The Prince is coming! The Prince is coming!
Just announced: Harry, Prince of Wales will be playing polo for his charity Sentebale at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on June 27th. This will be his second appearance on New York soil, and his second challenge to Nacho Figueras, Captain of the Black Watch Polo Team. Prince Harry led his Sentebale team to victory, adding a more resplendant note to the days festivities.

Now would be the time to choose your hat, with royalty in mind. Go big, go important, go decortive. Be bold, be brave,be ingenious. Choose a hat to boost your ego, to underline your personality. Let color be your inspiration, but stay with a black hat, if you're a timid soul. Feathers and flowers were born to adorn. Let them seduce you, and convince you that your hat can be your crowning glory for the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, and stand tall amongst the celebrities that day.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

the Making of a Hat du Jour


No, we don't usually do "in-the-box" hats here at Ellen Christine Millinery. But once in a while, when I pull out some of the archival materials, I can't bring myself to cut them up. And so, the normal hats take up residence. We can't reproduce them, but we often have two or three of the same bodies (that's what you call the blank/raw material for making a brimmed hat), so if you miss one, you might get to see another one.
This little lady is a vintage, densely woven toyo, with a pc brim of 4" on it. I say pc because the American Cancer Society recommends a 4" brim for sun protection. We aim to please.
Although the straw starts out soft, with a bit of organic stiffening, it gains body. This particular style requires that format, to retain it's shape, and lady-like appearance.
The flower is a handmade composition made in the studios at Schmalberg, where we make our trims. Leaves, petals, branches, buds......whatever we don't make here, we make there. Now, that's a place to visit when you come to town. Put it on your list, and ask for Warren. He loves to show off his 19th Century machinery.
The flower is made to be removeable, for a wardrobe change. It's up to you.
See our other entries in "Hat du Jour" on :

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ellen-christine-Millinery/58203635099?ref=ts