Fashion Watch

Q: How old were you when you first discovered that you had a flair for hats?
A: My mum tells me that from a very early age, it was obvious I had a flair for creating things with my hands. So I suppose we could say before I could recollect. At the time though it was not hats but clothes I created. My dolls were always redressed as the clothes they came with were never good enough for me.

Q: Did you undergo any formal training if so where?  
A: I trained as a milliner with Rose Cory in London , England . She was the Queen mother's milliner for many years. Rose has made hats for several members of the royal family and other celebrities Vogue magazine referred to Rose as “the milliner's milliner and Harpers & Queen said of her, “….Rose Cory who seems to have taught every couture milliner in the country is probably the best couture milliner still alive.” She is very good. I am glad that I was taught by the very best. However, I believe being able to design is a gift. You either have it or you don't. Rose taught me how to practically translate ideas I had into headpieces. Shortly after my 2 years part time training with her, I worked with the famous hatters Herbert Johnson formerly on New Bond Street , also in London to gain practical working experience.

Q: Were your parents supportive of you embarking on a career in millinery?
A: Very supportive at the time, thank God. However going back some 7 or so years when I wanted to go to Paris to do a course in fashion designing after my ‘O' levels, my father completely kicked against it insisting that I should first get a university degree. At the time I was thoroughly frustrated and could not understand why he took that decision.   Looking back though, I am very grateful to my parents for the decision as my educational background has helped me a great deal with running my own business. Initially when I embarked on this business, I imagined I'd just be making pretty hats and selling to a few people but it has grown much bigger than I imagined and as such I have had to employ several people that I oversee including university graduates who do our accounts, administration, inventory, sales and marketing etc. I often wonder how I would have managed without my educational background!  

Q: Who is your favourite milliner and has he or she influenced your own work?  
A: I think it would have to be Frederick Fox or Philip Somerville. They demonstrate class and traditional millinery skills that are rare to come by these days. I would not say they have really influenced my work but I admire what they do. Nature has been the greatest influence on my work. Flowers and plants especially. Therefore, it will be safe to say God has been my greatest influence and I copy from the great creator. I never stop marveling at his creativity, I call him the master designer.          

Q: What is your signature style if any; apart from hats do you design anything else?  
A: My style is quite versatile, but being original and different is always at the back of my mind when I am designing my hats.   In the past 2 years, we have added other fashion accessories such as dress bags and corsages to our collection. The list has not ended yet, as we will keep adding other accessories as time goes on. The aim is to be a full accessory store before the end of 2008.  

Q: What are the 3 most important things that a woman needs to know when purchasing a couture hat?  
A: Would it go with my outfit? That has to do with the style, texture, colour, shape, finishing etc   Would it suit my face and frame? For instance, if your face is small, it is best not to wear a hat with a very large crown and brim. On the other hand, if you have a large face, it is typically not advisable to wear a hat that is too close to your face as it will emphasize your features. It is also advisable to choose a hat with a brim that sweeps away from the face if you wear glasses so as not to over crowd your face and best not to wear a hat with a high crown if you are very tall and vice versa if you are a short person.   Is it suitable for the occasion? Even though it is often said with fashion these days that anything goes, it is very important to choose the right hat for each occasion. For instance to be allowed into the royal enclosure at Royal Ascot, women must have their crowns covered. So it would be inappropriate not to wear a proper hat if this is where you are going to be.  

Q: Can you advise the best way to keep a hat in its original shape and colour?  
A: It is important to purchase a hat box with your hat if it does not come with one. It might set you back a few pennies but it is well worth it, as it is the safest place to keep your hat.  

Q : What is fashionable at the moment in terms of fabric, shape and trimmings?  
A: I would say fascinators, the little head pieces that come mostly with feathers and in some cases flowers. At John 3v3 we use millinery veiling to add more class and tradition to them like headpieces from the 30's. They are mainly made out of sinamay or in our case pinok-pok and binaga which are similar to sinamay but more closely woven, finer and of course more expensive fiber. The fascinators cover less that a quarter of the head and basically perch on one side of it. They are really cool, come subtle, loud and in some cases as you can imagine, outrageous.   They suit all face shapes as they don't interfere directly with the face as hats do. They can be worn to very formal functions like Royal Ascot, the Derby , state functions, weddings and less formal functions like church, depending on the type of trimming used. Finally, with hats as with any other fashion item, my best advice is to always wear what enhances your looks.  

Q: What is the average price range for your pieces and do you have outlets outside of Nigeria ?  
A: We hardly talk prices at John 3v3 Hats. What is important to our clients is individuality, quality, class and style which we always work on providing for them.   No, we have no outlets. There is only one John 3v3. However, we are working on making our hats available to some exclusive stores in the UK , US & South Africa, hopefully before the middle of 2008.          

Q: If you could design a hat for any particular person who would that be and why?
A: My dream was to make a hat for the late princess of Wales , Lady Diana. She carried hats off really nicely. There are very few real ladies of style and class these days that carry hats off like she did.

Q: What is the most enjoyable thing about what you do and what is the most challenging?  
A: The sheer delight and satisfaction expressed by a happy client is a joy to me. On the other hand I find it very challenging working in an environment where people are not taught to pay attention to details and so it is very difficult demanding that from them. The deficit of basic infrastructure makes working that much more difficult and sometimes takes the joy away from an otherwise enjoyable job. All in all there would always be good and bad together. I just try and focus on the good and ensure that I am positively challenged by the “not very good” things around me.  

Q: What are the main occasions women are purchasing hats for these day?
A: Here in Nigeria it is mainly weddings and other church functions. In the UK , Australia , USA & Dubai, it is the races.  

Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a milliner?
A: Firstly enroll in a good millinery college and spend some good time learning. It is not possible to be a really good milliner from doing a three day crash course. Try gaining some practical experience with a professional if you are lucky to be given the opportunity. Carve out a niche for yourself and stay focused. Like any thing that is worth doing, be committed, dedicated and persevere and you will succeed.  

Q: What do you think about Ladies Day at Ascot, an important date in the British racing and social calendar?  
A: Ladies Day at Ascot holds very fond memories for me. I had the opportunity to attend Ladies Day at Royal Ascot 3 times.

The first time in 1991 I was a student at Rose Cory's. At this occasion, the two hats I designed (the one I had on and the one a friend of mine wore) made the list of the best hats at Ascot that year and I was photographed in about 7 international magazines including the Royal Dempster's (British), Semana (Italian), Royalty (British), Highlife the British Airways flight magazine and Charles De Gaulle Airport magazine!  

In 1992 Royalty used my picture to advertise the Royal Ascot races for that year. I was in my twenties and on top of the world. The Voice newspaper, Briton's largest black paper at the time interviewed me; I was invited for an interview at Bush House in London on BBC radio's Spice Taxi and also featured on their TV highlights of Ladies Day for that year.  

In 1996, I was featured on CNN'S highlights of Royal Ascot and on ITV in England . As you know every milliner's dream is to showcase their work at Royal Ascot and the test of how good you are is usually decided by the lens of the paparazzi.   I have not been to Ascot since 1996 as the date seems to coincide with other important assignments I have had. However, I look forward to being at Ascot soon again. Apart from the hats, it is a day of fun, strawberries, champagne, & luxury.  

It's a good experience I'd recommend to anyone especially lovers of fashion. A note of warning though, while dressing to kill, do make sure you have some trendy warm clothing somewhere handy as the weather drops badly in the evenings.   We have had a few orders for Ascot in the past; however it is not common for people to attend Ascot from Nigeria.