Issue 175 October 2020 - Chantal Filson Queen's Plate Feather Tutorial - HATalk
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Issue 175 October 2020 Chantal Filson Queen's Plate Feather Tutorial
Issue 175
October 2020
Contents:
2 Catching Up with Chantal Filson
An interview with the creator of Costume On.
8 Hat of the Month
A hummingbird hat from David Dunkley's 2020 Queen's Plate Collection.
13 Goose Nagoire Feather Mount Tutorial
Learn how to make a feather mount with Rachael Nixon of Chanix Millinery.
22 Millinery Masters
Coco Chanel - from boaters to the LBD.
24 Letter to the Editor
Removable trims for theatrical millinery.
25 The Back Page
Book review - Hats: A Very Unnatural History
Cover/Back Page Credits:
Headpieces: @daviddunkleyhat Model: @sierrahaller
Image: @klphotofilms Dresses: @langloisbrides
MUA: @theartofmakeupandhair Queen's Plate: @woodbinetb
1 www.hatalk.com
Catching Up with Chantal Filson American costume designer Chantal Filson of '1886' has a passion for historical fashion and an entrepreneurial nature. Quick to adapt, Chantal has used this pandemic year to launch a brand new online conference and her own pattern range. We interviewed this dynamic creative to find out more about how she's been making the most of 2020 so far. 2 www.hatalk.com
First of all, tell us about your connection with hats.
I've always loved hats, their ability to pull a mood into
focus simply by using an angle, like a Fosse bowler, or
as wearable art piled impossibly high in defiance of
physics. The meticulous craftsmanship that goes into
blocking felt, the fact that a fascinator base can turn
anything into a hat, even a hubcap. It's like a haiku atop
someone's head, speaking volumes and leaving a lasting
impression.
While the intrinsic art of the hat really resonates with
me, as a costume designer I absolutely love that a hat
is not necessarily restricted by size. Both logistically - no
alterations needed for a fascinator - but also in terms of
body positivity. A hat can be worn regardless of gender,
body shape or measurements, and conveys style and
character in a body-neutral way.
What kind of headwear do you create?
I have a deep obsession with period fashion, and while I
do create hats for shows of any era upon occasion, most 1887 Asymmetrical Short Brim Hat by Chantal Filson
often the hats I make are of the late Victorian through
early Edwardian years, particularly the 1880s. During repeating the designs of others and infringing upon
quarantine, I began drafting patterns of my own based their art. I like to offer what cannot be found anywhere
both on fashion plates of the time and original millinery else, a version that I've put my personal stamp on. I
manuals. I absolutely love puzzles, particularly jigsaw and originally wanted to offer e-patterns out of convenience
Tetris, which has been very helpful in working out the - a one-time setup that forever self-generates without
more abstract pattern pieces. I am completely self-taught, having to find a mailbox in whatever city I am working
and often draft my patterns with pencil and paper while in - but it proved to be the ideal model for the current
watching horror movies late at night when it's still and I environment of mail issues and physical surfaces that
can concentrate. I favour the odd, asymmetrical styles, could be contaminated.
the patterns I've never seen offered anywhere else, the
period hats that turn up again and again in illustrations
My favourite medium is buckram and wire, though I have
but not in any film or museum I can find. enjoyed my brief forays into felt. I would love to explore
working with straw to the extent of dyeing and plaiting
I am a staunch supporter of independent artists and, as it myself, perhaps when I take a break from drafting
a member of that community myself, I stay away from patterns. My next designs will be late 1890s womens'
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hats. They will be a mashup of some originals in my
collection and fashion plates of the era. Coming soon!
What is Costume On?
Costume On is an online conference for historical
costuming that I founded and organized during
quarantine, a two day event in real-time with live
teachers on a schedule that featured four 'channels'
of classes split into eras. Students registered through
the website and choices included lectures, interactive
demos and hands-on workshops where they made
items and could ask the teacher questions as well as
display their work on-camera. When I was putting it
together, I thought, "Well, if I can get six people to sign
up, I will consider it a success." The site went live late
at night, and I woke up to a massive response in the
first two days that literally broke the website. I had to
immediately add a second weekend to accommodate.
Costume On proved very timely - the entire world was
online and hungry for content and to connect with
each other. The name is primarily derived from Costume
On(line), but it also means 'Keep Calm and Costume On!'
While I organized the conference from the standpoint
of a department head, both for structure and quality
control, a primary goal was to keep it personalized and
approachable. All skill levels are welcome, as are all
genders, ethnicities and orientations, and I maintain a
strict code of conduct. I made sure to include several
free bonus classes, and a General Lounge for students
to mingle in between classes. I stuck my head into the
Lounge briefly here and there, and was absolutely
thrilled to see a group chatting away - Colorado and
Texas talking to England and Australia about stitches
and classes. Costume On proved to be one of the best
experiences of my life, I’ve made so many new friends!
1880s Horseshoe Cap by Chantal Filson
While I did teach two real-time Victorian millinery
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18th Century Placemat Hat by Chantal Filson
workshops during Costume On, the conference stems from Australia, Panama, the Netherlands, Canada, the UK
from a larger business plan that I have for 1886, to create and across the US from coast to coast.
a costume school, private events and a general landing
pad for historical costume on the East Coast (of the USA). I absolutely love teaching costume and this has opened
I had originally intended to begin workshops on-site up a whole new audience, the potential is endless. I am
at the Victorian manor I am restoring for an inclusive currently putting the next Costume On together for this
experience, but when lockdown cancelled those plans I fall. Stay tuned!
thought, “Why not take the whole thing online?”
What is your favourite hat?
I had initial concerns about the limitations of webcams How to choose! There are so many that jump to mind
and working from home, but found that often the - the blue velvet Gainsborough in The Duchess, Sophia
situation exceeded what I would have experienced in a Loren’s massive black portrait hat in Pret-a-Porter, Gene
physical class. Teachers were able to hold up tiny items to Tierney’s elegantly drooping rain hat in Laura, the rakish
camera with a level of detail that would not otherwise be fedora on Cynthia Erivo in Harriet. While predisposed
seen, and many students who would have been unable to film hats, I'm all over the map really, whether it's jet
to attend due to cost/travel/childcare were thrilled to beading, a sharp brim angle or silk taffeta pleated into a
participate and make new friends. Students attended puff pastry, so many details speak to me. I am a huge fan
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of Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones, both for concept
and execution - just genius. I honestly can't choose a
particular hat itself, but will say that I go weak in the
knees for a quintessential 1930s felt homburg with that
distinct kettle curl brim, or a late 1880s 'Welsh crown'
tall hat with a jaunty brim.
If you could make a hat for anyone, who would it be?
These questions! I loved Orry-Kelly's autobiography
and his aesthetic and would have loved to work under
his direction, both to experience his design and the
workroom studio system at the time. But as he had a
reputation for ripping hats off of people and stomping
on them, the work itself would have had to be its own
reward.
I love to be a bit splashy and someone like Oscar
Wilde or the Marchesa de Casati would have been
an adventure, but honestly I would prefer a wickedly
stylish 19th century courtesan who would have been
ready and willing for a sharp new look to promenade
around the Tuileries. I like a bit of scandal in my hats.
Where are you based?
I live in both Los Angeles and New York, I find many
things in my life are both sides of the coin. The majority
of my film work is in Los Angeles, where Art Deco and
the noir of the 1940s has my heart, but my house and
costume business is in New York, in my soul. It's not
easy, but art never is!
To learn more about Chantal Filson and her 1886 brand,
go to www.1886location.com. You will also find the latest
news about the Costume On conference and her historical
hat patterns there.
1880s Peaked Bonnet by Chantal Filson
6 www.hatalk.com
first class
hats and
materials
We have it all, ready made hats or an extensive range of milinery supplies of first class
materials, it’s all there! We provide tailor-made solutions for our clients. Our passion for hats
provides you with the possibility to create the hats you have always dreamed about.
THE NETHERLANDS / + 31 (0) 577 400 730 / PLOOIJHATS.COM
7 www.hatalk.com
Hat of the Month
by David Dunkley
8 www.hatalk.com
The Queen's Plate, North America's Originally scheduled for 27 June, the 161st running of the event.
longest continually run stakes race, Canada's most famous horse race
was the latest in a series of high was moved to 12 September. For Woodbine Entertainment, organisers
profile race meetings to be run in health and safety reasons, the of the Queen's Plate, encouraged
front of an empty grandstand as a general public were not admitted racegoers to get dressed up and
result of the ongoing pandemic. into Woodbine Racecourse for the watch the race safely from home.
Fans across Canada put on their
racing finery to cheer from their
living rooms as Mighty Heart took the
trophy. In that spirit, Toronto milliner
David Dunkley, Official Milliner of the
Queen's Plate since 2013, launched
his annual QP Collection as usual.
Dunkley named his 2020 Queen's
Plate Collection 'On Point,' as he
designed it around the theme of
'Points' and classic millinery shapes.
The collection included this hand
shaped feather headpiece, complete
with the Woodbine logo printed on
silk organza (left), and the designer's
signature daisies.
"Daises are my favourite flower for
really intimate reasons," he told us.
"Therefore I include a daisy design
in every Queen's Plate Couture
collection. This season I was feeling
like oversized handmade silk daisies
were called for."
The Canadian milliner put just as
much effort into his 2020 collection
as he would do any other year, taking
time to hand paint sinamay, feathers
and flowers to get the colours and
9 www.hatalk.comstyling just right. The piece which particularly caught our attention was this unusual flowerpot shape, complete with a handmade hummingbird and diamond detail veiling, which is why we have chosen it as our October Hat of the Month. Inspired by some special silk fabrics given to Dunkley by the late Canadian fashion designer Pat McDonagh, this hat is a sentimental tribute. "Pat very kindly, and early in my career, took me under her wings and mentored me about fabrics (and so much more about fashion)," Dunkley explains. "The hummingbird bird was hand sculpted and meticulously assembled feather by feather - a true labour of love. I literally lost count on how many hours I invested! Furthermore, while doing my research for the QP2020 Collection, I learned, 'the hummingbird spirit animal symbolizes the enjoyment of life and lightness of being. Those who have the hummingbird as a totem are invited to enjoy the sweetness of life, lift up negativity wherever it creeps in and express love more fully in their daily endeavours' (quote from Elena Harris - www.spiritanimal.info). Well that sealed the deal for me while designing and really, after the 10 www.hatalk.com
nutty year we've all shared, our
little hummingbird was the perfect
symbol and embellishment."
Here's to seeing millinery fashions
back on the field in 2021. In the
meantime, we are so glad that
talented hat makers around the
world continue to create and to
share their fantastic work with us
online.
A few more hats and headpieces
from the DDFM Queen's Plate Couture
2020 Collection are pictured here.
To keep up with latest from the
Canadian millinery designer, follow
@daviddunkleyhat on Instagram or
visit www.daviddunkley.me.
Photo Credits:
Image: @klphotofilms
MUA: @theartofmakeupandhair
Model: @sierrahaller
Dresses: @langloisbrides
Queen's Plate: @woodbinetb
11 www.hatalk.com12 www.hatalk.com
Goose Nagoire Feather Mount Tutorial
by Rachael Nixon
These gorgeous feather mounts are elegant and your feathers slide around and just don't go where you
adaptable. They can be used in so many different ways! want them to. Patience is the key, though, and once you
To create an instant fascinator, simply attach your get into a routine of spinning your thread you will get
handmade feather mount to a headband. Or twist and the knack of it.
shape for a unique hat decoration.
What You Will Need
For this tutorial, I used about 60 goose nagoire feathers • Goose nagoire feathers
and 25 coque feathers to make a mount long enough • Coque feathers
to twist. You can achieve different results by varying the • UHU glue
number of feathers you use. You can also mix things • Invisible thread
up by trying other feather combinations. A few hackle • Wire (Use wire that can be shaped and swirled.
feathers will add a nice touch, for instance. For this project I used 0.8mm millinery wire but it
doesn’t have to be a specific type. I generally use
When you first try making one of these mounts, it can whatever is leftover in my scrap wire hoard.)
feel like you're all fingers and thumbs. You may find that • Sharp, long scissors
13 www.hatalk.com1) You can style the tops of your goose
nagoire feathers before you begin. I like a
soft point, so I start from the top and cut
diagonally down each side. I don't make
the cuts too sharp or neat as I still want a
natural look. I also trim off all the fluffy bits
at the bottom. Once you have mastered
this technique, you can play around with
other ways to shape your feathers.
2) I have kept my feathers at their original
length to make a very large mount. If you
would prefer to make something smaller,
trim your feathers from the bottom.
Decide on a length for your mount and
cut a piece of wire to that size. If you are
unsure, you can use a longer piece and cut
the excess off when you are finished.
14 www.hatalk.com3) Double knot your thread around the wire (1cm from the end), secure it with a dab of UHU glue and then wrap it tightly around the wire five times. To create the mount, you will be adding feathers one at a time, while continuously wrapping the thread around the wire. This is a very, very fiddly process, so don't get discouraged if your feathers start slipping and moving. The tighter you pull the better. Normal thread often snaps under the tension, which is why I prefer to use strong, invisible thread. 15 www.hatalk.com
4) Begin with five coque feathers. Starting 1cm from the top of the wire, where you tied on, add the first feather and wrap the thread tightly around both it and the wire four times. Personally, I find it easiest to wrap away from me, but you will soon discover which wrapping direction works best for you and your hands. Just have patience and it will eventually work! Next, add another coque feather on the opposite side and wrap your thread around both feathers and the wire four more times. Repeat this process until all five coque feathers have been added. If needed, you can add small blobs of UHU glue to help secure your thread. 5) Add a goose nagoire feather to the mount and wrap the thread around it four times. Keep the bottom of the feather close to the end of the wire. Otherwise, you will see the feather stems poking out when you twist the finished mount. The general aim is to have four nagoire feathers per row. Sometimes the further down you go, however, you will need to add more in order to cover the stems of the feathers in the previous rows. 16 www.hatalk.com
6) Once the first nagoire feather is secure, add another one on the opposite side of the wire and wrap your thread around the whole thing four more times. Then place another feather in between the first two and wrap another four times. Fill in the remaining gap with a fourth feather, tightly wrapping the whole thing again four times. Add a bit of UHU glue to keep everything in place and, if the feathers are very loose, continue to wrap with thread until they feel secure. 17 www.hatalk.com
7) Move 1cm down your wire and start
another layer of four nagoire feathers in
exactly the same way as you did in Step
6. If there is a gap and you can see the
feather bottoms (as shown in this photo),
cover it by adding an extra feather.
8) Now that you have added two rows of
nagoire feathers, add two or three more
coque feathers in exactly the same way.
Continue to add each feather individually,
wrapping with thread and securing with
small dabs of UHU glue when needed.
18 www.hatalk.com9) This process will require a lot of thread. I always cut a long piece but still need to rethread my wire at least four times. This can be a good thing, however. If you drop the mount and it all unravels, you only lose the last bit you were working on! Add a new length of thread in the same way as you did the first one - tie a knot, use a dab of UHU glue and wrap the thread around the wire several times. Once it is secure, you can continue adding new feathers to your mount. 19 www.hatalk.com
10) Keep adding rows of feathers, alternating between nagoire and coque as before, until you are happy with the length. When you are, secure the end of your thread with a dab of UHU glue and wrap it tightly around the base, using your fingers to press it into the glue and secure it. If you will be attaching your mount to a headpiece and the end will be hidden, you can simply cut off any excess wire. If the bottom of your mount will be visible, however, you leave a little bit of wire exposed and wrap the base neatly with florist tape instead. 20 www.hatalk.com
Rachael decorated this gorgeous
headpiece with one of her
handmade feather mounts. She
twisted it to get the shape she
wanted and then attached it
to the sinamay base by hand-
stitching between the bottom
feathers to make it very tight and
secure.
Image by E Collins Creates
Rachael Nixon is an award-winning Scottish milliner who makes and sells her work from her showroom in Kirkcaldy,
a small coastal town just outside Edinburgh. She studied millinery at Glasgow Clyde College and founded her own
hat label, Chanix Millinery, in 2016. To find out more, go to www.chanixmillinery.co.uk.
21 www.hatalk.comMillinery Masters: Coco Chanel
Several well known fashion designers, including Jeanne Lanvin, Lucile and Halston, started out as milliners. The
iconic Coco Chanel also took this career path.
While living in Moulin Chanel worked first independent hat shop, Chanel
as a cabaret singer, picking up the Modes at 21 Rue Cambon, in 1910.
nickname ‘Coco.’ In 1904 she met Located near the Ritz, many of the
French textile heir Etienne Balsan hotel’s wealthy guests became her
and became his mistress. She moved customers. In 1912, actress Gabrielle
into his chateau at the age of 23 and Dorziat (below) wore a Chanel Modes
her lifestyle changed dramatically as hat in the play Bel Ami, giving the
she was introduced to high society
and a life of luxury.
With so much free time on her hands,
Chanel began making hats to keep
herself occupied. Balsan offered to
help her start a millinery business
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (1883- and her hobby became an enterprise.
1971) was born in Saumur, France. She sold her hats from the ground
When her mother died, Chanel’s floor of his Parisian flat. Boaters were
father took his daughters to an one of her early signature styles, as
orphanage to be raised by nuns. she started out by buying basic straw
She was 12 years old at the time. hats and styling them with simple
Life was difficult and the nuns were trimmings.
very strict but, fortuitously, she was
taught how to sew. When she turned In 1908 Chanel left Balsan for Arthur
eighteen, Chanel left the orphanage ‘Boy’ Capel, an English polo player.
for a group home in Moulin where Capel encouraged, and funded, her
she attended school and found a job to follow her dreams and become
as a seamstress for a local draper. a Parisian milliner. She opened her
22 www.hatalk.comlabel a real boost. Chanel was soon making hats for most
of the leading ladies of Parisian theatre.
Chanel opened a boutique in the fashionable French
seaside resort of Deauville in 1913. This was when her
transition from milliner to fashion designer began. As
her empire grew, she also opened a salon in Biarritz. She
presented her first couture collection, featuring simple
wide brim hats and jersey dresses, in 1916.
The House of Chanel was a well known name by the
1920s. In collaboration with perfumer Ernest Beaux,
the designer launched her classic Chanel No5 fragrance.
Then, when she unveiled her ‘little black dress’ in 1925,
she truly established herself as one of the fashion world's
greatest influencers. When World War II broke out,
however, Chanel closed her business and laid off all of
her workers. She stayed out of the spotlight for years, not
returning to the industry until the early 1950s, at the age
of 70, to relaunch her brand.
Despite her humble beginnings, Chanel moved in the
highest social circles throughout her life, counting
Winston Churchill and Pablo Picasso amongst her friends.
She never married but was romantically linked to many Chanel hats marked a transition from oversized, ornate,
high profile men, including composer Igor Stravinsky Edwardian styles, decorated with birds and large plumes,
and England's Duke of Westminster. Her involvement to the more modern styles of the mid-twentieth century
with a Nazi officer during WWII led to unsubstantiated which remain popular today.
rumours that she was a German spy.
Coco Chanel died in her apartment at the Hotel Ritz in
Chanel was a lifelong hat wearer and was especially Paris at the beginning of 1971. Her funeral was held at
fond of boaters and Bretons. Like her clothes, her hats the Church of the Madeleine. The House of Chanel, later
had a timeless, refined design. Her style was strongly led by Karl Lagerfeld, remains an important name in the
influenced by the austere simplicity of her early years fashion industry to this day.
in the orphanage, while her goal was to create luxury
with comfort. She used clean lines with neutral tones to This article was written by Amy Fowler, owner of Humboldt
design with a casual elegance. Haberdashery.
23 www.hatalk.comSend us your questions and comments! Do
Letters to the you have a problem needing a solution? Or
information that you’d like to share?
Editor... Email us! mail@hatalk.com
Question:
I normally make one-off occasion hats but am interested materials and designed to withstand abuse.
in creating hats for stage productions. I am worried about
the quick turnaround times for costume hats, though, Another big difference between making for the stage
and wondered if you had any tips for me? and making for private clients is the production speed. A
couture milliner will spend many, many hours on a single
Answer: hat or headpiece to make sure that every stitch, both
While the fundamentals are the same, there are real inside and out, is perfect. That is why true couture work
differences between the processes of making theatrical is so highly priced. On the other hand, theatrical milliners
hats and bespoke pieces. First of all, hats and headpieces are often asked to create a large quantity of hats at very
for the stage need to be extra durable. They are often short notice. Of course, the focus should always be on
thrown around and roughly handled, both during a doing high quality work, but costume milliners do have
show and backstage, so they need to be made of sturdy to learn some shortcuts to survive!
Rachel Pollock has been a professional costume designer
for theatre, film and television for over 25 years and
teaches her trade at the University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill. She recently launched her own YouTube
channel - La Bricoleuse - to share some of the tricks and
tips that she has picked up over the years.
In one of Rachel's recent videos, she suggested creating
removable bonnet trims (left). Secured on a buckram
base, these trims can be changed, or repositioned, at a
moment's notice. This can save money as well as time, as
the same bonnet can be used for different looks.
To watch Rachel's video on this technique, CLICK HERE.
24 www.hatalk.comThe Back Page
Book Review:
Hats A Very Unnatural History by Malcolm Smith
Welsh biologist and conservationist Malcolm Smith recently released a book
exploring the devastating toll that the hat trade has taken on wildlife over the
past few hundred years.
Published by The Michigan State University Press in January 2020, Hats: A Very
Unnatural History is part of The Animal Turn series. In this book, Smith takes an
in-depth look at the use of fur and feathers for human head coverings from the
earliest times and documents the shift from the sustainable hunting practices
of native tribes to the horrific excesses of the fur and plumage trades just a few
generations ago.
This eye-opening, fact-filled account of animal exploitation for hatting and
millinery is sobering. It is clear that the extinction of countless species of
animals and birds happened as a direct result of the making and decorating of
hats. For today's milliner, however, this book can also be enlightening. Facing
up to the darker side of our trade's history can help us to be more mindful
about our own processes and the sustainability of our material choices.
To purchase a copy of this book from Amazon, click HERE.
Contact Us! If you have any questions, comments
or anything that you'd like to share, please email
us at mail@hatalk.com. You can also find us on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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