London Hat Week 2019

Flower I created from the thermoplastics class by Maor Zabar.

London Hat Week was lots of fun despite the typical drizzly, cold London weather. There were some Underground subway challenges for me, but nothing that made me more than 15 minutes late to a workshop. It was however an eye-opening experience, navigating through the week of festivities. I mostly attended workshops, with little room in between for extra-curricular activities.

My favorite class was probably the new millinery materials workshop with Carole Mahar from Australia. She was really engaging and fun. I spent all my money buying up sample materials from her class. I have only started cutting into some of those pieces now. She certainly made me look twice at paper products for millinery. I made this green Toyo paper hat while at her workshop.

Hat made from a Toyo paper capeline and an unnamed thermoplastic and metal flower. Both are new materials I learned about from my workshop with Carole Mahar.

To celebrate my XTerrace hat exhibit, I went all Royal Ascot, and made a leather crown to match my silk floral dress. Sadly, I arrived to see it crushed like someone dropped it on its face. One of the ladies helping out at the event allowed me to fix and poof it back up. Given the distance and number of hats they had to worry about, maybe mine just fell through the cracks. I also got to meet my Instagram buddy and fellow milliner Marianne Jongkind.

My leather crown with matching dress, and Marianne. Please don’t mind my smirky smile.

One of the highlights of my trip included the Dior Exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I have an annual membership even though I don’t live in London! Last year, I really wanted to go to the sold-out Frida Kahlo exhibit, and had to buy a membership in order to get in. I figured I was coming back for Hat Week anyway, and I totally scored another entry to a sold-out event.

My creative head was about to explode after seeing all the beautiful clothes and accessories. I wanted to run home to not only make hats, but sew some clothes that I would probably never wear. It was just breathtaking! I hate spoilers, so I am only going to show you one picture from the exhibit. This is because I want to encourage you all to go for yourselves. There’s nothing like seeing it up close. Try not to drool too much.

While I was away in London, my profile article was published at the Voyage Houston online magazine. I think they did a good job, and if interested you can read the full piece HERE. It’s an older photo of me, but they really wanted something fun…and heaven knows what happened to all my fun pictures.

I also saw the Stephen Jones’ exhibit at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Disappointingly, I was not allowed to take any photos, so all I have for you is a picture of the grounds. I also inadvertently set off the emergency medical alarm in the water closet, thinking that string was a light switch. It was dark in loo. No one was terribly mad at me. The ladies there seemed used to the clumsy tourist.

I do love my English teas, but this time around, I only had tea at the Royal Pavilion Cafe. All those promises of an elegant High Tea somewhere like the Ritz just didn’t materialize. There was talk with my hubby about going back to the proper tea room at Fortnum and Mason, but neither one of us had the time to get there either. I am definitely staying longer and planning my trip better next year. There are daily direct flights from Austin to London Heathrow. :-)

I opted for just tea and a salad and skipped the scone since I was just coming off my Keto diet. I assure you I acclimated quickly after this tea, and ended up eating a M&S scone before I left London.