Leaf Beret

Wayne Wichern

Modern millinery is a craft both traditional and experimental. Across the country and around the globe, highly-skilled communities of hat makers are creating sculptural art by combining centuries-old techniques with new materials and modern design trends.

Millinery is a rather arcane and low-tech craft; hat blocks, steamers and basic sewing machines are all the equipment required. Hat blocks are wood shapes milliners use to block felt and straw hats by pulling and stretching felt and straw materials over the hat block to create the shape. Once blocked hats are dry, they are removed from the blocks and cut and stitched to the desired shape then embellished with flowers, feathers or ribbons to create the finished hat.

In continuing traditional millinery craft I bring together the incredible skills of woodworkers, straw weavers, felters, flowers and feather trim makers into wearable works of art.

Hats are a powerful social and cultural marker. In the early to mid-1900s, the daily wearing of hats was a social norm. People rarely ventured out in public without a suitable hat. Today, when you wear a hat you are certain to be noticed. It is always interesting to me to observe the obvious or subtle adjustments of a client’s mental and physical attitude as I set a hat on their head. The hat may well ask for a confident straight-forward comportment or perhaps a more mysterious or mischievous character is requested of the wearer. Thus the “theater of the hat” as each change of hat reveals facets of an individual’s persona.

Email: wayne@waynewichernmillinery.com
Website: www.waynewichernmillinery.com
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