JCMillinery x Silviyana Bridal

Photo by Farawayland Weddings

One of my favorite things to do is work with like minded designers, so I was thrilled when Seychelle Wilmouth, the Founder and CEO of Silviyana Bridal reached out to me about collaborating on a line of Eco Friendly Bridal Hats.

Seychelle and her team of independent designers have created a beautiful and sustainable line of wedding dresses and accessories made primarily from pina fabric which is woven from banana and pineapple leaves mixed with silk and organic cotton. Silviyana works directly with a women’s cooperative in the Philippines to weave the eco fabrics by hand (you can read more about the process here).

All photos in the set above by Elusive Photo

When Seychelle first approached me, we discussed the inspiration behind her designs and concepts for bridal hats that were both modern and timeless. We decided to start with a capsule collection of three silhouettes: a modern pillbox, a softer floral band with delicate net veiling and a classic wide brimmed hat. All of the pieces are created from pina paired with hints of traditional millinery materials such as high quality grosgrain ribbons and veiling from France.

All photos in the set above courtesy of Silviyana

You can see the results in the editorial photos above and in the working photos from our studio below. All of these pieces are available to try on and purchase through Silviyana. They offer a unique “try at home” Bridal Box service which is a fabulous, non-pressure way to shop bridal in the comfort of your own home.

As Seen On: Baskets

One of the fun things about having our studio located in Burbank, CA is that we are adjacent to all of the major movie studios and from time to time, we have the opportunity to work with costume designers on hats for TV shows and movies.

Recently, Emmy Award winning costume designer Amanda Needham’s team reached out to us for a bridal piece for the character of Christine Baskets (played by Louie Anderson) on the FX Networks show Baskets.

Based on their specs, we put together a few options for them to choose from and they decided to go with our classic Miriam pillbox. You can see the full look in the final scene of Season 4, Episode 7 entitled “Housewarming”.

The best part is that the hat will now be a part of their wardrobe department and could show up at a later date on another show or production.

photo via Louie Anderson on Instagram

photo via Louie Anderson on Instagram

Tales of Hat Repairs, Volume 2

I can’t say enough how much I want you to wear and enjoy your JCMillinery hats! Don’t worry about ruining them, they are made to last and if life happens and they need a little love just give us a call and we will happily fix it up for you.

Recently I received an email from a client whose favorite hat, a custom version of our L’espionne fedora was damaged in her move across the country. The hat was completely crushed and had tear in the straw of the crown.

To bring the hat back to life I first removed the existing trim and inner headsize ribbon and put the hat back on the original hat block it was formed on. Using a combination of steam, ironing and pinning the hat returned to its original shape. From there, I cut off the existing crown (with the hole in it) and went through our Panama straw supply to find a new straw that was a close color match to the existing hat. Next, I blocked a new fedora crown and attached it to the existing brim. I refreshed and reattached the hats’ original trim and put a new ribbon inside to fit the hat to the clients headsize.

Voila, her hat is as good as new (but better because now it has a story to tell).

Click through the gallery below to see the process from start to finish:

A Look Back at Kentucky Derby 2019

I thought it would be fun to revisit some of last year’s Kentucky Derby fashion as this weekend will bring the running of the rescheduled 2020 Kentucky Derby without spectators. The 2019 Derby was our busiest season ever! In addition to doing Trunk Shows around the country, we had the opportunity to outfit and an entire corporate event of 20 couples which made for a fun fashion challenge.

When it comes to choosing a Derby hat, a daring few choose their hats before the outfit but most women (and men) usually choose their outfits first and bring them when they come to choose a hat. To start, we have you try on lots of different hat silhouettes to narrow down what you like and what best suits the shape of your face. From there we choose the type of fabric, and the best colors and trim to match your outfit. This customization process is what really make our hats unique and often times results in a one-of-a-kind creation.

Here are a few dress and hat combos:

From left to right: Lela Rose dress with custom “Le Portrait” hat, White House Black market dress with custom “Nouvelle Lune” fascinator, Vineyard Vines dress with custom “Jolie Femme” hat, Eliza J dress with custom “L’evier de la Cuisine” hat, Dolce & Gabbana dress with custom “Soucoupe” fascinator, red and white printed dress with custom “Jolie Femme” hat, Chiara Boni dress with custom “Plateau Composé” hattinator, purple eyelet dress with custom “Dramatique” hattinator, Trina Turk dress with custom “Flirter” fascinator, Frank Lyman Design dress with custom “Le Melon” hat.

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I really love bringing these fun pieces to life and adding the special touches that make each hat unique. The best part of Derby Season is when I get to see everyone in their looks at the track and I am very grateful that so many clients shared their pictures with me, which means I get to share them with you!