William Chambers is an up-and-coming designer who's been making handmade hats, head pieces and bridal millinery in his Glasgow studio since 2009. His creations are inspired by nature and are often made with odd pairings of traditional fabrics like felt along with latex, plastic and metallic leather.
Here's how Chambers describes the making of the lively Crystal Cocktail Explosion hat (above): "[It's] made from several small plastic cocktail straws and Swarovski crystals. I hand crafted each flower myself, inspired by the dahlias which grow in my little garden at home. The structure was created using millinery wire, creating a cascading effect or explosion of sparkles down one side of the head."
Leather pill hat with plastic flower
Chambers explains his general approach: "First, I draw a sketch when I am inspired by something, and then I source materials.... The process of blocking and shaping the hat is actually pretty fast, but decorating the piece with trims can take up to two weeks."
Leather Button Disc with Cherry Blossom
What stands out for me are the unusual materials he uses. It's like he creates these fantasy gardens that you wear on your head. How fashionable!
Copper Disc
Chambers is a rising star in the millinery world, winning the Accessory Designer of the Year (2011) at the Scottish Fashion Awards. I found out about him on Noovo.
You can get a free consultation if you want to have Chambers make you the perfect hat or bespoke headpiece. Just go to William Chambers.com.
Comments