Millinery: Not the Old, Not the New, the NOW.

Roz Willmott Dalton

Millinery: Not the Old, Not the New, the NOW.

Roz Willmott Dalton

New Zealand

Millinery is an area of fashion steeped in tradition. Just as in clothing the inspiration of design from decades and centuries gone by is ever relevant to the present day as are the technical skills of handmade millinery pieces.

It is in the design where the contemporary shines. Yet the essence of the pieces starts with the same critical techniques which have been used for hundreds of years. With thimble on finger, it is needle and thread. Blanket stitch to hold the wire to the edge of a brim. Slip stitch to secure the binding covering the wire. Stab stitch to get through the layers and hold trim in place. Wooden and in some cases, aluminium, blocks to mould the cloth over. Steam to soften the cloth. Petersham ribbon for the head fittings. Millinery is one of the few industries where the tried and true techniques and tools are as relevant and critical today as they were 100 years ago.

Materials have changed only due to lack of availability, but in general, have stayed vastly traditional. Felt, straw and paper. Swiss Braids are still made in Switzerland. Some of the most exciting materials are those hidden gem discoveries from Great Aunty Doris’s attic, who used to be a milliner. Out will appear the finest parisisals, a vast array of the highest quality velour felts made in Paris or Czechoslovakia, and Ecuadorian Panamas which will have been hand woven by a family of weavers, who could even show where the fibre was cut from, each family member weaving a different and critical part of the hood. It is the beauty and rarity of these vintage materials which can inspire the most fashion forward design. Most modern-day milliners will treasure these rare finds and use them for only the most-worthy of designs and clients. Some of these finds can be like a textbook, with the physical examples of techniques long forgotten, but worthy and relevant for revival.

The exception to the traditional materials, leaping into the contemporary field are thermoplastics and 3D printing, easily the most modern and contemporary materials in millinery today. Defined as: ‘materials that can be softened by application of heat and hardened on cooling.’ Originally developed for use in medical procedures and now very much an essential part of costuming and the Cosplay genre due to their light weight and easily mouldable characteristics, they are also making their mark in millinery. The traditional millinery techniques and methods are still required for blocking, finishing and embellishing pieces made from thermoplastics. They mix sympathetically with the tried and true materials of felt, straw, feathers and silk. The big difference being thermoplastics mould instantly with heat or steam, not needing the extra time to dry as with traditional, natural fibre millinery materials. They also don’t require additional stiffening from solvent or PVA based stiffening agents.

Thermoplastics have added a new dimension to what can be achieved in a sometimes easier and time efficient way. Knowing how to use these materials successfully to execute a well finished piece of millinery still comes down to understanding the technical skills of tradition which have travelled down through generations.

To truly understand millinery, it is critical to understand the traditional roots of the craft. The relevance of the ‘old’ is the contemporary of today. It is the social commentary in the design which pushes the pieces into the future.

The photos to follow show the blocking process for the small button base. Because the ‘Plastic Fantastic’ sets almost immediately, you have to work very quickly. This factor can help determine the style of block to use. Pinning the underside to hold the Thermoplastic material in place is not required as is essential with all other blocking materials, because of almost instant drying. The bottom edge would be trimmed to neaten. Due to the rigidity of the edge, additional wiring is not needed for this size of piece. The trimmed piece could be re-wet and stretched to create trims.

Bio: Roz Willmott-Dalton

website: willmottdalton.com

Instagram: wddmillinery

#millinery #nohotgluherehun #millinerymaker

My fashion background dates back to high school in the early 1990s, and ‘work experience’ once a week at the then Tanya Carlson Design Studio. Fashion was the path I had wanted to follow since forever, and the time with Tanya and her exquisite machinists, showed me it really was possible.

After completing a three year Fashion Diploma at Otago Polytechnic (1994-96) I went into a design and patternmaking job at Bendigo Blues, working with denim. In the late 90s I moved to Christchurch and experienced a variety of workplaces, from high fashion with Barbara Lee to tourist fashion with T & Ski, and then street and club fashion in both men’s and women’s wear with Auravale Industries, producing the label Syrup.

As a new chapter of life approached with marriage, I went out on my own, concentrating on made-to-measure, finding myself in a niche of bridal fashion. I loved this and found the bridal industry fascinating, especially the sociological aspect of brides and their families and how they all reacted to the expectations of what a wedding was. I found I loved the hand finishing of the gowns. The fine details, draping, rouching, bead work. It was both rewarding and always a privilege to create a wedding gown for a bride.

As online shopping for off-shore imports became more popular for the budget-driven bride, it became harder to compete and justify price. Finding fabrics also started to become more challenging. Brides became much more commercial with their tastes, which led to a built-up need for creative freedom in me. The truth was, I was over wrangling and creating busts, and putting my hands up dresses.

Millinery was always something I loved and dabbled with over the years, creating pieces for clients for the popular Christchurch Cup Week races, complementing the outfits I had made for them.

By mid 2010, I had decided to make the move from clothing to millinery. This move brought the passion back, due to the freedom of design. Anyone can wear a fabulous hat or shoes no matter your size, but not everyone can get away with a plunging back neckline or fitted silhouette. The ‘anti-size’ aspect of millinery has great appeal. I have noticed people will be braver and bolder with a hat than they will, comparatively, with garments.

As 2011 approached, my block collection and materials were growing. Then the earthquake hit in February and changed everything. For three years I was without my workroom and our family without a permanent home. With declining mental health, I battled with the EQC until we were eventually given the permission to rebuild. I spent any much-needed down time escaping into researching everything I could about millinery. Techniques, designers, history, materials, suppliers, and meeting other milliners around the world online. I found there was a massive feeling of sharing within the millinery world. Never, in all the years in the rag trade, had I experienced the kindness and generosity which I was experiencing from milliners world wide.

The beauty of milliners around the world is the underlying knowledge of the importance of keeping the skills alive. Trying to educate the public on the difference of a bespoke hand-made piece compared to a mass-produced Asian import. Keeping true to the art.

In 2014 I showed my first millinery collection ‘Enchanted Garden’, in a Canterbury Collections show with 20+ other local designers. For me, this confirmed I had made the right decision to change direction.

I am forever grateful for the technical skills gained over years of constructing garments, as they are very relevant to millinery, especially the fine hand finishing, which I realised was the part I loved the most with made -to-measure gowns.

Over the years I have been able to collaborate with other designers, producing accessories and headwear for their garment designs which is always a fun and satisfying experience.

In 2016 I travelled to Australia for the International Millinery Convention where I was able to study under some world-leading milliners, including Ian Bennett & Sophie Beale. Every year I attend Millinery Spring School in New Zealand with Melbourne-based tutor Waltraud Reiner, and take technical courses where available. This year I have started to teach a night class in Millinery Fundamentals. The course concentrates on first understanding the history and background of millinery, to then understand the importance of the techniques.