Old Hat

The trend in the last few weeks has been to bring in a hat found in the bottom of the closet, to have it refurbished.  For those of you who remember, it's also called "updating".

     When hats were hotter than they are now, and you had more than two in your life, it was important to show off  the latest style.  To do that, and not spend more money on another hat, some people brought it into their milliner to have it re-blocked, re-designed, re-created......in short, done over.  During the WWII years, this was the norm, as it had been during the Great Depression.  You took Granmother's hat out of the dusty attic, and used it to recreate a copy of the latest French styles.

Nowadays, while we're in the throes of a depression, but not quite there yet, a little hat can uplift and change your mood.  Time to look in the back of the closet, raid your Mothers wardrobe, or run to a thrift store, and get a hat.  It should have some basic elements necessary to change it: it must be made from quality materials.  It should be sewn, and not glued together, and it should not be too dirty.  Squashed is okay; run over by a muddy truck isn't.

Cleaning a good felt is usually possible, but a straw that has grit embedded in it's fibers becomes a problem child.  Nothing is impossible, but the realm of possibilities can be limited, depending upon the hat.

We take no offense to being called upon to restore these poor crushed beauties.  After all, we want hats out there in the world, singing, and dancing.  Not hidden in the backs of closets.  Bring them out, hie them hither, and allow us to let them be reborn.

January Whites

     Just in time for the snowfall here in NYC, the issue of W Magazine with Christy Turlington on the cover has arrived  . January is upon us, and Christmas not yet here.

     Our "Diva" couture headpiece is featured in their special feature on bridal whatevers. Called "Chic to Chic", the story covers gowns, jewels, shoes, bags, with  our hat in the lead, on the index pages.  White dazzling white, the Diva has appeared in many versions through the years, but lately the ultimate complement has happened: we've been knocked off by Urban Outfitters. 

     While my brain concocts many a new and exciting cocktail hat, the favorites remain, and the Diva has always held first place. When discos ruled the earth, and sequins were the mainstay of every diva's wardrobe, this little hat was re-born .  Popular in the 1930's as an evening touch of glam, the look became popular on the dancefloors of Manhattan  in the 1970's and picked up a following .  Seen at weddings, bar mitzvahs, proms, and nightclubs, the small, circular perchy hat stayed in the subconscious of hat lovers, waiting for a new venue.

   When I opened Ellen Christine, the shop, we did this little hat as an evening piece, with veiling, and a feather, not just in black, but in colors of the customers' choice.......translated  for brides, it went glam, with swarovski rhinestones added for a glow factor.

     Always on the website, sometimes in the shop, now in W Magazine for your viewing pleasure...Ladies and Gentlemen, I present: The Diva.

 Urban Outfitters, you need me.

 

Sample Sale Eternal

     Ellen Christine Millinery goes Etsy for a sample sale.  

As of Dec. 4th, go to :

                              www.etsy.com/shop.php?.user_ID=5785876

for a streaming sample sale.  Find current models, past inspiration, and samples from Spring 2009 up for grabs at low prices.  We'll be running new items every week, so check back often for something you want or something you've been dreaming about.

   The Etsy community is the perfect venue for our sample sale, a place where hand made ideas made real come to light.  Our samples are made with the same care as our couture, so for those who don't live in New York City, this is a remarkable opportunity to own an original Ellen Christine hat or headpiece for a fraction of the cost in the shop.

     Our workshop will be putting in some interesting vintage ingredients, and research materials for all of the Etsy folk to peruse and drool over.  We have boxes and boxes of antique trims, feathers, ribbons, blocks, books and reference materials....since we're at an overflow mark, we are opening the floodgates to the crafters of the world.

   Please stop by the Etsy page, and do feel free to pass this along to al of your fellow hat lovers.

Holiday "Hats-Off"

     Go to www.hatsoffthemovie.com right away and get a copy of this wonderful film for every hat lover on your list.  Throw in a hat, and you've got the perfect present. 

     Directed by Jyll Johnstone, produced by Jyll Johnstone and Michael Arlen Davis, the documentary traces the day to day life of  the indomitable Mimi Weddell, actress and hat wearer sublime.  Mimi Weddell plays herself: she taps, acts, poses and happens to be 93 years of age.  Named by New York Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in New York", Mimi has appeared in television, films and ad campaigns since she began her acting career 30 years ago.  

     The darling of the film festival circuit, both here and in Europe, "Hats Off" celebrates the life and whimsy of a determined, pragmatic woman "rising above it" in New York City, in an industry that calls for singleminded determination, at any age.

     This film will make you get up, get out, and celebrate your every waking moment.  

Now, go buy a hat and have an adventure!

Photo courtesy of Nicole Begiveno/The New York Times

Post Party Syndrome

We did it!  We had the march up Fifth Avenue, and the party at Haven, and the coverage in the New York Times.  For our first event, I'd say the Milliners Guild of NYC has hit the streets. Party planning in New York is difficult at best, but with a group of designers as a committee, it's downright challenging.

When in doubt, delegate, and so we did.  We had Monika as the party hearty planner; Lisa as the decorating committee for Haven.  Anastasia was the liason supreme with the owners of Haven.  The p.r. committee was comprised of myself, Linda Pagan, and Michelle Peglau.  there were sub-committees, as well:  the makers of the feathered headpieces we gave as gifts in the goody bags; the stuffers of the goody bags; the rest of the Guild as back-up and consultants.  for those of you out there, feel free to ask any questions about doing a serious gig with a very small budget, and I'l be happy to steer you in the right directions.

Oh, the goody bags!  Moire from Rochester baked organic cookies in the shape of hats!  We had CD's contributed from several of our respective clients, and gift certificates from our affiliates.

Jewelry, make-up, and containers of mints with the Guild's brand on them as toppers.  Any member of the press received this little token of our appreciation, although it isn't done quite so much anymore.

The open bar served vodka martinis created especially by Haven for the event, and the dislay of hats from the Guild members was superbly executed by Lisa on the mezzanine .  Get thee to Haven for their ambiance, food, bar..........a great spot, truly comfortable and ultra-hip. Rare on the Upper East Side, without being stuffy.

Milliners, rejoice!  We did it, and did it in New York style!

Hat On the Town

...Onward march the Catherinettes!  Tomorrow in NYC, leaving from the Millinery District Synagogue at 1025 6th avenue, the NYC Millinery Gu1ld , and proceed in an orderly, abeit hatted, fashion, through Midtown, up to Rockefeller Center and on to Haven.  The idea of this promenade is to celebrate St. Catherine's Day for the first time in New York, and honor our fellow milliners the world over who put the needle down once a year for this Fete.  

St. Catherine is the patron Saint of milliners, and in Paris, for decades, the "grisettes", who work behind the scenes in the Grands Maisons, unmarried, 25, and dressed in green and yellow, march en masse to the statue of St. Catherine and climb up to crown her.  

Where is our St. Catherine, you might ask?   We haven't designated a statue as yet for the crowning, but we will gather en masse in commemoration of the day.

Join us, with a fabulous hat on to be sure, and come up Fifth Avenue.  Let the tourists wonder and be amazed!

Onto 51st St., and then to Haven, where we will have a vodka bar open for one hour.  A selection of hats, and a selection of milliners will be at your disposal for interviews, and gawking.

Come, join us, for this, the first Hat Happy Hour.

Time and Time Again

     Pick up this week's Time Out for an article about Ellen Christine Millinery.  It's a brief interview, highlighting some of the Fall 08 styles, a gorgeous headshot of yours truly, and some nice words from the reporter.  

Although we are included in many, many editorial layouts, in  the important High Fashion magazines around the world, features of the shop are not as frequent.  Having said that,I must point out that this is the second one this Fall (see Sept: Actives, France), so maybe it's a new trend.  On a roll here, next week we are doing a piece for Threadbangers, an online clue to how, from a NY team of fashion seekers.  We'll highlight it here as soon as it's released.

     So, a loud thank you, to the editors of Time Out NY Magazine, and to the writer, Jacqueline Colette Prosper for her wonderful article.

     She picked up on my dream contract:  a  new Tiara for the Statue of Liberty every few years. Why not?  She's probably wondering why she never gets to change her outfit .  After all, this is New York, and she is from Paris.  Doesn't she have a reputation to maintain?

     So, instead of cows, let's do a collection of gigantic tiaras, placed all over town, funded by an approapriate arts group (are you listening, Mayor Bloomberg?), and sold, to make money for the city.  I'd love to see huge tiaras all over town, on top of the bull on Wall Street, in the North Marina, in Madison Square Park..need I go on?  I shall ponder this, my next project, and you, dear reader, feel free to send your ideas and comments to this blog.