Collection of Editorial Hats Inspired by cherries

A delightful gingham fabric with a cherry motif provided the inspiration for my latest hat collection. Up until that point, I didn’t have a specific idea about my next collection. I had been working with a possible food theme but wasn’t getting too far with the concept.

Seeing the fabric took me in a new direction…cherries.

The concept was still in the food category so I guess it was more of an evolution than a revolution. The fabric was so charming. I wanted to incorporate it into some hats but knew that the best way to make a collection is to start with a mood board. There are two types of mood boards: physical or digital. Physical mood boards are much harder to make since you have to buy (or find) a ton of magazines. Digital mood boards only require a computer but can be a pain to print and hang on a wall. My solution has been to use Pinterest like a mood board and then print a few of the key images. It’s a fairly easy process since the internet is one HUGE magazine of inspiration. From cherry blossoms…to cherry pie…to Vogue cherry hats…it’s like being a kid in a candy store.

Click here to check out my mood board on Pinterest

I wasn’t looking to create a huge hat collection. Only 5-6 hats. But I wanted a few of them to be #editorial worthy. Since I really like to look at the inspiration multiple times a day, I print out a few images and hung them on my wall. Some hats were going to be recreations of vintage 1950s hats that I found Etsy or eBay while others were completely new concepts inspired by jewelry and pastries.

Creating an editorial hat isn’t always obvious. I have to determine which technique will work best and be willing to start over if I’m wrong. Luck and synchronicity can be important. While I was mulling over how to make a specific piece, I found a workshop in NYC given by the talented milliner Maor Zabar. He was demonstrating how to use felt to make food-themed hats. The timing was perfect, so off I went and return armed with the techniques along with the understanding of how to transform a Charlotte into a hat.