This month's who's who is all about a fantastic milliner, Chloe Haywood who is a Designer and founder of Hatastic. Chloe designs and make hats, headpieces and hair accessories from her workshop at the end of her garden in Surrey - Just near H. She also facilitate's workshops for hens, parties, team building events, museums and children, which is how H knows her - so we thought we should have a chat!
How did you start?
It all began with my want of a finishing an outfit for a wedding where I was wearing ivory. I wasn't the bride and couldn't find anything in the shops that wasn't bridal and that fitted my ridiculously small head. So I made a small headpiece from bits and pieces I had at home. I had some lovely feedback from people at the wedding so I decided to challenge myself into making a different one for each of the five weddings I had that year. I was then commissioned to make a bride and her bridesmaid’s individual pieces... Then I discovered Folksy and set up shop! That was in 2009 and it was still a hobby then...
But in 2010 it all started getting exciting, so I decided that Hatastic! was my business!
What's Next?
2012 was crazy busy with shows at Milan and London Fashion Week, oh and Birmingham and Alternative Fashion Week, London Bond Street
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to the beginning?
Hatastic! started as a gut instinct, and that is what has driven me throughout this process so I wouldn't like to say that's a bad thing. But, it's always a good idea to not jump at the first hurdle if you're not sure. Take a step back and breathe a little and then see how it lies. It's surprising how some things seemed like a brilliant idea at first, and then turn out to be a bit of a turkey!
We think that Chloe's advice sounds very sensible to us, sometimes you can get so caught up in the idea that even when it starts going wrong you don't notice. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Who wants to look back and realise they were the one who never gave things a go!
Live it. Love it. Make it
H & Sammy
