E L E VAT E D H E A D S P A C E
Halo Mimi
BATON ROUGE MILLINER MIMI HOLADAY EVOKES CONTEMPORARY COUTURE IN AN ANTIQUE CRAFT By Jordan LaHaye
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n Mimi Holaday’s Baton Rouge home studio, the old and the new coalesce in luxurious sprays of feathers, smooth curves of steamed felt, and a row of head-ishshaped blocks lined upon a shelf. The art of millinery—distinguished from hatmaking as the crafting of headpieces made of finer materials than the common cap—is an old art, historically equipping the upper classes of virtually every civilization, from the ancient Egyptians to today’s British royals, with the loudest, most expressive of fashionable statements. In a fashion landscape where hats have ceased to be so mainstream, Holaday’s boutique hat-making business, HALO MIMI, takes an accessory that is these
days almost a statement in itself, and adds in the luxury of contemporary character. Atop premium materials and hand-molded shapes, Holaday indulges in the long-held tradition of ornamentation, incorporating everything from plumes and leather and studs to guitar picks and dragonflies and playing cards. In her living room, four rows of shelves display some of her more recent favorites: a white felt boater with a light blue ribbon; a distressed periwinkle straw; a tuxedo-approved women’s tophat with a tiny white feather flaring outward; a clear topless wide brim halo, pressed wildflowers floating inside. She pulls out a Milano straw sunhat she’s been working on, which is adorned in voodoo-
“Vive” style bright white heavy fur felt with vintage horse hair tassel pin and pheasant feather, modeled by Shonteira Allen, makeup by Marissa Mizell. Photo by Jason Kruppa. All photos courtesy of Mimi Holaday.
“Audrey” style premium felt, wide brim fedora with patent leather underbrim and vintage silk satin ribbon, modeled by Katlin Turner, makeup by Marissa Mizell. Photo by Jason Kruppa.
doll-esque stitches and discolorations— “just some of my magic tricks.” Hanging from a string above her kitchen table is an in-progress version of one of her most recognizably eccentric pieces—a black lace birdcage Holaday is building for New Orleans artist Ashley Longshore. “I get these crazy ideas, and want to challenge myself,” said Holaday, pulling out another such novelty—her porcupine headdress: a Maleficentreminiscent tiara with two horn-like diamonds rising from the forehead, bedecked in porcupine quills—sinister, bohemian, and chic all at once. “I definitely welcome any design challenge, but these are my showpieces. In day-today fashion, you don’t need something so avante garde to grab people’s attention. I
always try to keep it interesting, like— wow, your hat is so cool—but I tend to keep it monochromatic, clean in design. I like to be creative, but in small subtle ways.” She draws a certain strand of creativity simply from the individuality of her clients themselves. Specializing in custom pieces, Holaday’s skills as a stylist elevate her pieces into what can only be described as “perfect fits.” Guiding each client through the process of selecting materials, shapes, and styles, she makes suggestions based on the person’s gender, face shape, lifestyle, haircut, height, and overall aura. “I can kind of fit everyone’s look, build up their existing character” she said. “Sometimes customers have something really specific in mind. But // A U G 2 0
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