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July & Fashion Week

November 7, 2009 in Uncategorized by Milli | No comments

Ack!  HUGE apologies for setting my blog-duties aside for four months.  Time flies; I need a clone; I need sleep (always) but am happy to be busy doing the work that I love.  I have made more hats, and shared my love of hats, with more people this year than ever before, and that feels really good.

Austin Fashion Week was all about the fashion and beauty talent in this capital city.  I participated (officially) in two events at Maximum FX salon, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people, especially the lovely ladies who modeled Milli Starr accessories, along with stunning vintage frocks from Amelia’s.

 

Vintage Dresses and Milli Starr headpieces

Vintage Dresses and Milli Starr headpieces

 

 Attending the AFW Awards Show and After Party was a great conclusion to a hectic week, and of course, I always LOVE an opportunity to dress up:  1920’s Chinese silk embroidered pajamas and a fascinator featuring a Victorian feather bird and veil.  AFW garnered some great press and has led to wonderful new connections and opportunities, many of which I’ll share in these next few posts.  I am excited about what AFW will present in 2010!

 

Milli Starr on the Red Carpet

Milli Starr on the Red Carpet

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Austin Fashion Week

July 9, 2009 in Events by Milli | No comments

Just a head’s up because I know more details will be coming…

Milli Starr is one of the participating designers in the first-ever Austin Fashion Week, July 13-19.  It should be TONS of fun with local designers (clothing, accessories, jewelry, home goods) pairing with boutiques and salons to showcase their fabulous merchandise in mini stores-within-stores for one week only.  There are over 130 events planned all over town, including an awards show Sunday night at the Long Center featuring a fashion show, music, and more, hosted by the beautiful and talented Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching.

afw_poster_week

I have been paired with Maximum FX salon on South Congress, and while they don’t have the ideal 8′ x 8′ space for me to set up “shop,” I will definitely be down there with some creative merchandising and as many NEW designs as I can find room for —  I’m sure there’ll be feather fascinators alongside the Aveda candles.  :0)

I’ve been working non-stop on two new straw collections, both featuring gorgeous vintage French trims from the mid-20th century.  This orange cloche, hand-blocked with free form pleating and adorned with a carved wooden buckle, is a great preview of the Summer Collection that will be featured at Maximum FX.

 

Summer 2009 Collection

Summer 2009 Collection

There will be an informal fashion show Thursday night with models wearing unique millinery designs by Milli Starr and showing off the latest in hair trends created by the team of Aveda stylists.  On Friday from 2-4 pm, I will be on hand for “Methods of a Mad Hatter,” a hat-making demo featuring some basic blocking and finishing techniques, common millinery materials & equipment, etc.  Please come by and see me!

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Introduction

April 3, 2009 in Uncategorized by Milli | 3 comments

the millinerI can’t believe I am actually joining the blogosphere. For those of you who know me, it’s immediately apparent that I am “old school” and shun most modern technology, fads, and social phenomenon like MySpace and Facebook. I wear mostly vintage; don’t have a television, an iPhone, or even a microwave. I am never happier than when practicing my profession, the nearly-lost art of traditional millinery. I make hats, headpieces, bridal veils, and fascinators. Gorgeous adornments made by hand, using a collection of antique wooden hat blocks, a vintage Jiffy millinery steamer, and a 1920’s hat stretcher.

About a decade ago, I spent two years in a Graduate Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. I focused my energies on textile and costume history, conservation, and exhibition within a museum context. But I indulged myself with an additional line of study, enrolling in the Millinery Certificate program of FIT’s Accessory Design Department. I had always wanted to study hat-making, and FIT is one of a handful of institutions left in the world with an in-depth millinery program. I highly recommend the department, as well as FIT in general, to anyone interested in pursuing fashion or textile arts.

I currently reside in Austin, Texas with my husband and daughter, plus a crazy bird named Vegas. I have a home-studio in which I design all sorts of millinery wonders, from simple hair clips and feather fascinators to elaborate toppers for the Kentucky Derby. I have clients all over the US, and my hats have traveled all over the world. Examples of my work can be seen on my website, Milli Starr.

In Autumn 2008, I began teaching millinery classes at a sewing studio in South Austin. I offer courses on basic sewn hats, buckram construction, as well as blocking methods. I hope to use this blog as an informal online extension of these classes, sharing my enduring love of hats and the art of millinery, including techniques, projects, inspirations, and more.

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