- Beau- £65
For all those who want all eyes on them at a wedding (why should the bride have all the fun?!) or who want to add a dash of pizzazz to their ensemble, be it day or night- new milliner on the scene- Bundle Maclaren- has just the right hand-crafted headpieces for you. Upon completing a year’s apprenticeship with renowned milliner Gina Foster and a millinery degree at Kensington & Chelsea College, Bundle started her own label in 2009. And with three collections behind her, she has developed her own unique style of using head-pieces to explore the relationship between shape and form and experimenting with colourful and quirky pieces like feathers and quills to create memorable sculptural pieces.
SHF is a big fan of brands that are affordable and yet made from good quality, and with the prices of these statement, individual head-pieces ranging from £35 to £130- SHF heartily agrees that Bundle has indeed filled the chasm between high fashion and high street.
SHF talks to the hottest milliner on the scene to learn more about her exciting new collection- the Indigo Collection, head-pieces in general and whether the late Isabella Blow (one of the most iconic and eccentric hat-wearers of our time) was right when she declared that hats are a ‘cheaper and less painful form of plastic surgery’.
SHF: Did you always want to be a milliner?
Bundle: I have always loved hats and I’ve always wanted to do something creative and have my own business but I looked at lots of other things before deciding upon millinery. I also looked at pottery, jewellery design, furniture restoration and photography.
SHF: What sort of obstacles did you face when you transitioned from milliner student to milliner designer?
Bundle: I had the design skills I needed but had a lot to learn about the technical side of running a business and being self-employed -accounts managing, budget management, marketing, web design, price points, site optimisation etc. I sought a lot of advice from designer friends who also run their own businesses.
SHF: You make all your creations out of your house in Battersea, and I think this gives your pieces a more organic appeal with you very much in the middle of your brand, how have you found balancing the creative and commercial side of your business?
Bundle: This has been a steep learning curve. Like most artists, in an ideal world I would just sit in my studio designing great hats and would have someone else to actually run the ‘business’ side of the business. But being a one man band I’ve had to learn very quickly how to run a small business.
Although I was apprehensive at the beginning, I’ve been surprised at how
much I’ve enjoyed the administrative side of the business – it’s a lot more fun
when it’s your business!
SHF:What advice would you give someone who wanted to start a career in millinery?
Bunle: As well as doing a recognised training course to teach you the practical millinery skills you’ll need, I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship with an established milliner. And once you decide to launch your own label– go for it! Don’t be shy with your designs or hold back on your ideas, however bonkers they might be. Be true to your vision and then your
signature look will emerge and once you have an established identity the
designs will flow.
SHF: Tell SHF about your latest Indigo collection and the inspiration behind it?
Bundle: Each piece of the Indigo Collection was inspired by female icons of mine – strong independent women. For example the ‘Grace’ was inspired by Grace Jones – it’s androgynous and makes a powerful statement. The Marianna was inspired by Marianne Faithful – colourful, feminine and romantic.
Marianne- £129
SHF: For me its the quirky detailing in your head-pieces- an over-sized bow here, a statement feather there- that give your pieces, their individual and vintage-like quality. I can imagine you always on the look-out for materials-where do you tend to source your materials from?
Bundle: I source all my feathers and materials as locally as possible. So I scour fabric shops all over London. A lot of my trimmings come from Luton – the home of the millinery trade.
Occasionally, I come across a brooch or trim at a flea market or in a charity shop which I desperately want to use but can’t in the main collection as I won’t be able to replicate it – but I’ll keep it for the bespoke pieces I’m asked to make.
Emilia- £69
SHF: Which public figures- dead or alive- would you like to wear your creations?
Paloma Faith, as she wears hats like no one else. I like to think Isabella Blow would appreciate the bold ideology behind my pieces. Carine Roitfeld, Kate Moss, Coco Chanel, Jackie O, Bianca Jagger, Debbie Harry, Katharine Hepburn, Wallis Simpson, Natalia Vodianova, Carey Mulligan – the list is endless!
SHF: When the late Isabella Blow was asked about her love of hats, some of the (now) famous quotes she used to explain her eccentric relationship with them were that to her, hats are ‘…a means to an end, a marriage contract…a sensual, erotic display…everything.’ What do you think lies behind the fascination that women have had for hats through the ages?
Bundle: A hat can create any character a woman wants to inhabit. Far better than a piece of jewellery or an outfit can. Be it something veiled and mysterious, bold and direct, clean and elegant, soft and feminine, colourful and fun etc.
Grace- £120
SHF: Legendary milliner, Stephen Jones once said, ‘make sure you don’t just wear an outfit and a hat, but that your hat is part of your outfit’. When you are dressing up for an event, do you plan your hat around your outfit or the other way around?
Bundle: Most people choose the outfit first and then a hat to suit. I always choose my hat first and the outfit follows because an amazing hat is far more eye-catching and memorable than an outfit and, with my pieces, a lot more affordable!
SHF: There are now so many fashion icons like Grace Jones, Lady Gaga and Daphne Guiness whose clothes have been accentuated by their elaborate, statement headpieces, thus consummating the union between head-pieces and fashion. How much do you follow the fashion season and its trends, when making your pieces?
Bundle: I always keep an eye on key trends, both on the catwalks and on the high street, but I don’t let them dictate my designs. In the Indigo collection you can see details which nod to this season’s trends, such as silk ruffles, a touch of
herringbone, military coggles, oversized bows, fine lace etc.
SHF: Out of all the be-spoke head-pieces you have custom-made to date, what is the most outlandish request you have received so far?
Bundle: Goodness… I’ve had a few odd requests but I think the most outlandish has to be a mother-of-the-bride who wanted a large headpiece based on the outline and colours of her favourite cockerel!
SHF: What are your future aspirations for your business?
Bundle: I’d love to create a bridal range. I’d also like to do a fair-trade line using
fabrics designed and printed by women’s co-operatives in East Africa. I’d love to eventually have a go at designing men’s hats. Oh so much to do!!!
For more information on Bundle MacLaren Millenery, please go to www.bundlemaclaren.co.uk
Ann- £35
Alie- £69
.
