I always wonder what people think of we milliners (aka hat designers). Many people I talk to think that it is tons of fun, getting to play with colors, feathers and flowers to create wearable works of art. Others think it is merely gluing a flower onto a ready made hat. In my case, it is the first one.
Since I am a custom milliner, it is always a gamble on which supplies to order and how much. I don’t want to be stuck with one color that I can’t use, so I usually order feathers and flowers in small quantities, re-ordering when I run out. Black, white, ivory and fuchsia are always big, so that is no brainer. I’m not really able to make up hats ahead of time because I simply don’t know what people will order and in what sizes.
On each hat, there are usually 6 or so items, each of which is ordered from a different place. So each material is ordered and then the pieces are all put together by me.
We get a lot of clients who will be attending the Kentucky Derby for the first time, so we end up answering lots of questions about what to really expect at the Derby. Having been, I can honestly tell my clients what to expect. Many of my clients are first time hat wearers and admittedly nervous about wearing hats. They don’t want to look foolish or inappropriate. I never sell or design inappropriate hats. I always try to steer my clients towards the right look.
Being a milliner and small business owner is a difficult balance at times. At times, the business end (accounting, marketing, website, etc.) does threaten to take over. However in any creative business, you must do the “business” end to be able to do the creative part.
