What springs to mind when you think of the word ‘millinery’? No seriously, be honest. For me, the word conjures up two rather distinct images. On the one hand, there’s the exciting, more avant-garde work of the likes of Philip Treacy, famed for his show-stopping hats and work with everyone from Grace Jones to Alexander McQueen. The second is, you guessed it, the stuffy, conservative hats painfully-coordinated mother of the brides have long given a bad rap. The truth is that hats can be incredibly divisive. The avant-garde can be dismissed as the ridiculous when seen in the wrong context (not to point any fingers at any royal weddings), and the second option is not the exactly the most exciting.
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That’s where Laura Apsit-Livens comes in. The Central Saint Martin’s graduate and former Phillip Treacy intern, has made it her mission to change people’s perceptions of millinery by offering something more contemporary thanks to her unique take on headwear. Thanks to her signature bright colours, highly structured shapes and a seamless marriage between old and new, only a few years in she’s already set up shop in London’s Mayfair, has become the go-to milliner of choice for Ascot and been called on by the likes of Selfridges, Boodles, Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin for special design projects. Oh, and she counts the likes of Rita Ora, Jessie J and the Duchess of Westminster as fans too.
To celebrate all things Royal Ascot, we caught up with Laura at her London studio to talk keeping millinery alive, how each collection begins and the craziness that ensures for her this time of year.
It was on my foundation at Central Saint Martins that I realised that for me, it was all about hats. It was such a good decision as I realised I didn’t want to do womenswear; I wanted to sculpt and create shapes around the body in the form of hats. I graduated in 2011 and after finishing my internship with Philip Treacy I freelanced for Jane Taylor for around six months. I completely ran out of money the Christmas of 2011 and moved back to my home town of Chester. I was lucky enough to be able to save money so took myself travelling to India for a few weeks. When I came back the reality was to work in a retail job, or start something on my own. I was fortunate to be able to choose the latter and four years later here I am!
I knew that millinery was a niche market, but really I was just setting out to do something I loved. And to provide the type of client that I wanted with the hats they desired. For bespoke, I normally offer my customers several different creative options and then together we decide what works best for them. It really depends what the client is looking for, it’s always so exciting when a client gives you free creative range.
I think there is always room for young designers to keep British Millinery alive and to honour our heritage. Wearing hats is such a classic traditional, yet purposely fun statement; an adornment that makes you more confident in your step, enhance your features and add character to your outfit. Hats have sometimes been pigeon-holed for Mothers of the Bride, but I think of them more as expressions of your personality and creativity!
From a young age I always wanted to make a name for myself under my own label. But one of the things I have learnt about myself is that I love collaboration and the creative process of working with other creative brands. It’s more about the brief and the vision and a new challenge from a client; it’s so exciting realising their ideas and presenting them my research and development. I have really enjoyed the collaboration aspect of my brand, working with other creatives and delivering briefs to designer brands. I want to focus on developing this pathway and to focus on my bespoke clients.
I love that no day or week is the same, I am constantly kept on my toes. It’s fantastic to be situated in Mayfair. Although the majority of the time I work alone, there are so many lovely and talented people based so close so I can always pop next door for a chat or ask someone’s opinion. Right now I’m dreaming of a glass of fizz in the sun, but with Ascot here, it’s going to have to wait! I always start with my admin and emails to catch up on orders, preparing pieces for press call outs and taking huge boxes to the post office! I normally tidy my desk at the end of each day and by noon the next day, it’s chaos.
With every collection I start out with my raw inspiration and then begin a journey of developing the concept into the end product. That is the area of my job which I love most. I find inspiration while travelling and have produced many collections that have been born from an idea from a beautiful place I’ve been to or dreamt about visiting. There’s something about being away from the everyday stresses of life that allows me to take in more of what’s around me. For me, Matadors always make an appearance. I love the classic shape in a completely different technique, always in a new colour or material. I also really enjoy working in block colours. It means when you have the piece it could go with several different outfits, hopefully encouraging my customers to wear it more often!
Ascot is the busiest time of year for any milliner. Last year I made in around thirty-five and this year I’ve made around 50. Some of my clients started planning and developing their pieces in January! May is the month usually where everyone starts to think of summer and hats. The first day of sunshine is like a switch; everyone has Ascot or weddings on the brain. It is a huge contribution to my annual turnover as the increase in bespoke orders begins in April and continues to flow in right up to last minute orders in June. My whole year is based around and builds up to Ascot, which takes a lot of planning and preparation to make sure I can cope with demand. To do this I have key pieces from my collection in stock and the base shape pre-made ready to finish with the desired trim. Hopefully this year my pieces will stand out from the crowd with a burst with colour. It’s such a good feeling to see my pieces on my clients; it’s that moment that makes it all worthwhile. I am making lots of tropical block colour pieces, and of course, there will be a handful of stunning ladies wearing my matadors!
This interview has been edited and condensed. Visit Laura’s store at 59 Duke Street, W1K