The Hat Channel Mag - December by iPlus Media

C R E AT E A CHRISTMAS C O R S AG E Take some time for yourself, and try out some christmas crafts.

TAKE A LOOK INTO LIFE WITH

“. . .W E A R SOMETHING DA R I N G ! ”

- Mathne

ANTHONY WILLIAMS!

Do you have A PA S S I O N

F O R FA S H I O N ? Karen Gold certainly does. Read about her journey in the world of fashion, and learn what hats work best with her creations.

DECEMBER 2020 T H E H ATC H A N N E L . C O M

02032 826 623

@ H ATC H A N N E LT V

@ T H E H AT H I S TO R I A N

W E LC O M E Dear Readers,

A new December, nothing like times gone by. As a ‘Digital Christmas’ approaches we can step up and embrace new experiences. How can we bring our family together, make them laugh and feel the love? Making something is a great start.

Using tactile ‘dressing up’ and maybe planning some special Christmas games could add some laughter. It is about making it new and exciting. Use all our senses, introduce some music and send a scented candle with a Christmas fragrance. No, not burnt mince pies! The parts of the festive holiday that we didn’t enjoy can disappear! Building on our computer platform, using technology to alter our faces, adding a ‘face paint’ look are all possibilities. Involving the younger members of the family, planning a theme adds ‘ownership’ and brings more inclusivity to the event.

two hats and a scarf make a huge headpiece for the celebrations too.

Sending out a ‘party pack’ feels that it may bring us together as one group. Playing games with added improvisation add a new dimension too. A great sustainable action for us all. No traﬃc jams, no mileage to clock up, a lazy morning before a zoom call before lunch. Later, ‘virtual get together’ for games and laughter. Curl up and think, Christmas can follow your rules and be the best Christmas ever. Remember it is cold out there. Wear a hat, stay warm and most importantly, stay safe.

Time is another luxury that can be allocated to make a Zoom Party ﬁnish with energy and laughter. If it goes on too long the group may run out of ideas. You can meet friends and family from around the world to all take part in the same party. The options are endless. Dressing up is both fun and enjoyable. Using the clothes you have in diﬀerent ways adds drama. A shirt tied round the head, adding that old hat too. Choosing T H E H ATC H A N N E L . C O M

02032 826 623

W I S H I N G YO U & YO U R FA M I LY C H R I S T M A S J OY.

@ H ATC H A N N E LT V

@ T H E H AT H I S TO R I A N

A PA S S I O N F O R FA S H I O N

A CHRISTMAS ELF

11 12 FLEECE AND FUR

J U S T A H AT

16 17

H AT S AT H O M E . . . A CHRISTMAS CORSAGE

A LO O K - A N T H O N Y WILLIAMS

TA B L E O F

CONTENTS COPYRIGHT © 2020 THE HAT CHANNEL LTD. The Hat Channel Mag is published by The Hat Channel Magazine. Editorial: editor@thehatchannel.com | Advertising: sales@thehatchannel.com Telephone: 020 3282 6623 | Website: www.thehatchannel.com Head oﬃce: Suite 2, 14 Union Street, Stroud, Glos, GL5 2HE London oﬃce: Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7LT

PERFECTION

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! T H E S TO R Y COMES ALIVE

T H E H I S TO R Y O F. .

T H E TO R Q U E BLANCH

No material may be reproduced in any way, or translated, without written permission of the publishers. Disclaimer: Every eﬀort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, but The Hat Channel cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of the publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT. Page 4 - 6: Colin Chau and Justmichaelakstudios Page 12 - 15: Scott Collier - @scotthephotographer | Page 17 & 18: Anthony Williams Page 19 - 21: @max_a_hatter or shop.maxahatter.com | Page 24 - 26: @andycopps

24 29

MAKE A SPLASH

T H E H AT V E N T C A L E N DA R

APASSIONFOR Made redundant in her

a passion but only at this

thriving career as a

point did it become a

business lawyer, Karen

reality.

stepped back and gave herself time to reﬂect.

Supported by the people

She enrolled in a

around her, she was able

stitching course and

to take her vision onto

followed a dream. This

the catwalk. Her

was freedom, learning to

seamstresses took

sew.

her ideas and created

Fashion

individual,

had

stunning

been

outﬁts. These new designs were noticed. A fresh look at garments meant Karen had the edge on her competitors. Ideas come to her in a ﬂash. There is no timely process.

Each inspiration

Once an idea has landed

arrives in its’

she goes out in search of

own time.

the right fabric. She has to see it to visualise it and feel it. A mental picture helps her make the right choices. Her latest collection hit her website yesterday. This was a mammoth task to bring her work to market. The steps are endless. She is meticulous. Her factory is in the heart of Tottenham. Her aim is to keep an eye on the work, check the quality and oﬀer a supportive working environment for her staﬀ.

Transportation is under her control. Each garment is checked and ﬁnished by Karen herself. A little look at the detail

reveals some loose ﬁtting

Hats are a natural

colours in the

dresses. The Miya oﬀers a

combination with my new

garment like

relaxed feel that can be

men’s jackets.

white or blue

worn day or night with an

or black

optional belt to pinch

Jackets that stand out in a

in the waist. While the

crowd are spectacular

Karen dress is more like

with hats. When making a

the fashion designer

statement, there is

herself - a vintage

nothing better than

1950’s style with a modern twist.

wearing a hat. A rigid bowler hat works well with a shimmering jacket. Black is a

Using high

great colour

quality

while matching

jacquard

tones could

fabrics with

work. Even a

a ﬁtted top

contrast could

and ﬂared

give a stunning

step into a neutral palette

skirt.

eﬀect with a

for all the accessories.

matching pocket square.

A fedora or a beret can be worn with the Maya

Karen

monochrome maxi dress.

suggests a

Soft lines show a magical

cocktail

silhouette. The hat adds to the look, creates some drama and makes heads

A large

turn.

boxed collar adds

fascinator to

even more

ﬁnish oﬀ an

drama to her

outﬁt. Use

creation.

one of the

S H O P T H E S E O U T F I T S AT K A R E N G O L D. LO N D O N

with a touch of fairy dust...

A CHRISTMAS ELF

Nina Dales can transform a

to reach a goal that links

bunch of ﬂowers into an

ideas and style for the best

exquisite, architectural

possible outcome.

sculpture that has life and

She always takes her venue

ﬂows in an elegant way.

into consideration as part of

Each cascade is alive with

her brief. Flowers and style

movements, colours

have to ﬁt the location, build

harmonise and shape is

harmony within the era and a sense of joy in their colour

transformational.

combinations. Each project is

She has a gift.

individual and brings together a plethora of ideas.

A bunch of ﬂowers can be styled in ways

Her knowledge sets her

that change them. A

apart. From foliage and ﬂora

designer can build a

each element is planned to

creation that forms layers of texture. The depth and structure start with an idea, builds with a plan and forms a design. Nina has experience and an eye for detail combined it’s her passion to develop ideas from her customers too. She explains that it is a journey

perfection. Plants have A B U N C H O F F LO W E R S C A N B E S T Y L E D I N W AY S T H AT C H A N G E T H E M .

developed over time. The

designed in detail. A

leaves and generating the

right look in a historic

headpiece is linked to the

shape in preparation for

setting is important but

shape of the head, her

the ﬂowers.)

there is always room to

hairstyle and the detail of her wedding gown.

A recent commission

While the

involved a wedding with a

decorations for the

meeting of cultures. An

ceremony and the

English bride and an

wedding

Indian groom wanted to

celebrations are

make a statement of

harmonised with the

exotic ﬂowers with soft

bride and groom’s

English blooms.

ideas, their venue, the theme and even their wedding

‘GREENING’ IS DONE B E F O R E T H E D I S P L AY IS MADE.

invitations, no stone

Marked in pink, royal blue

is left unturned.

and a regal green linked with elegant peacock

Her work takes her around the county HER KNOWLEDGE S E T S H E R A PA R T.

with a schedule

push the boundaries a

heads. She may

little. Great expectations

get up at 2am to

with a twist for the

start the bridal

outcome.

ﬂowers to deliver

that would turn

or have collection Weddings are a joy to

by breakfast time

Nina. She likes to get

on the day of the

‘inside’ the head of her

wedding.

bride to realise her

‘Greening’ is done

dream. Floral garlands,

before the display

buttonhole corsages and

is made. (This

the bride’s bouquets are

involves using the

feathers; Nina chose

authentic to the

include wedding ﬂowers,

building,

some pressed ﬂowers in

designed to a

glass with special

brief with a touch

messages like ‘Happy

of glamour and a

Birthday’. Working with a

sprinkle of ‘fairy

local shop her designs are

dust’. These

sealed for posterity.

projects are

Button Pocket Squares are

planned in detail;

popping in her head.

entail an entire

These innovative

team to create the

creations add a pop of

look and exquisite

colour, a touch of class

dedication. They

and stylish glamour.

work through the pink-carnations, dark blue delphiniums with orchids and bear grasses.

. . . . A TO U C H O F GLAMOUR AND A SPRINKLE OF ‘ FA I R Y D U S T ’

Added to these stunning

She aims to challenge herself try new ideas and make designs that have not yet been imagined.

peacock feathers, she

night and continue after

designed a compact ring

everyone has left the

of ﬂowers marked with tall

palace to bring the ‘magic

bamboo sticks and

of Christmas’ alive.

tapering bear grass detail,

Staircase, mural and

and layerings are key

ledges are all part of the

components.

scene. We can only glimpse these

Hidden in her repertoire,

masterpieces

Nina is also one of the

in magazines

‘Christmas Elves’ that

while Nina’s

decorates the Christmas

lips are

Palaces. She works with

sealed.

the team to give a spectacular feel to a

Her latest

design plan. Both

projects

W ATC H T H I S S PA C E !

F O L LO W H E R J O U R N E Y

@ S Y M P H O N YO F F LO W E R S U K

THE

L A N G UA G E O F H AT S

FLEECE AND FUR D O N YO U R W A R M H AT LINED WITH FUR

H AT T I E K I N G @ B Y _ H AT T I E _ K I N G

G E T H AT T I E â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S L AT E S T B O O K H E R E

JUST A A H AT I S P R A C T I C A L AND FINISHES OFF A LO O K .

happiness. The right clothes give you

could be a hat.

conﬁdence, make you

Your choice of

look younger and oﬀer

clothes and

clothes that wrap around

accessories impact on your feelings. Decisions on what to

A hat is practical and

wear present themselves

ﬁnishes oﬀ a look.

daily. Styling success

They are practical

encourages us to wear

and a secret from

eight or nine points of

Manthe can cover up

interest.

any manner of hair situations! A bad hair

Manthe, who owns ‘The

day would beneﬁt

Grace and Style’

from the attrition of

explained that these

headgear. On a

points are varied and link

sunny day, your head

to the character of the

is protected and you

wearer. One of them

shine with

your body shape. Sounds

colours in our

like a winner to me.

homes and

Manthe goes on the say

colours around us.

that colour is the most

Artists have

signiďŹ cant feature. Get the

followed their own

correct colours and your

feelings and

skin tone glows. Once you

picked particular

have established the

sections of the

accurate shades and

spectrum. Jack

tones for you, these

Vettriano, David

colour hues work for life.

Hockney, Monet and Van Gogh all

N AT U R A L B E AU T Y O F F E R S M O R E TO T H I S R I C H S PAC E IN WHICH WE LIVE.

kept within their favoured range, from striking ......

certainly got Manthe

yellow based tones, to

noticed as she has

cool shades and warm

become the Mayfair

muted strokes. Natural

Ambassador for 2020

Colours are determined

beauty oďŹ&#x20AC;ers more to this

by many factors in our

rich space in which we

lives; our favourite

live.

colours, negotiated

This approach has

C LOT H E S A R E T H E BACKDROP FOR THE COMPOSITION OF YO U R LO O K .

with community work to

the backdrop

lift the spirits of everyone

for the

who both live and work in

composition

the areas and beyond.

of your look.

Her passion for dressing

It must be

up began as a child. Her

authentic and

mother’s button box was a

true to you.

favourite place to delve

Within the

into and ﬁnd ‘jewels’ that

style world

sparked in the sunlight.

there is plenty of freedom to

She continues to follow

repurpose

her passion by adding

clothes, buy

antique elements to

vintage and

outﬁts, decorating and

examine your

layering all add drama to

own wardrobe, as Manthe

accessories and ﬁnally

your ﬁnal image. Detail

would say, ‘Do you have

don that hat, you are

matters; look at every part

any clothes living rent free

ready for everything.

of your attire. Clothes are

in your wardrobe?’. Hats on the other hand have a right to their space. No one ever throws away a

. . . D O N T H AT H AT, YO U A R E R E A DY FOR EVERYTHING.

hat. A Christmas style tip from The hat may turn heads,

our top London Stylist.

showcase your look and

Avoid black and be jolly

frame your face. So the

with merry vivid colours.

outﬁt you wear needs to

Don’t be afraid to push

be the right colour, have

the boat out and wear

the style that suits you

something daring with a

and be comfortable for

matching hat.

the next step. Wear the clothes, add the

LEARN MORE ABOUT MANTHE

@ S T LY E _ M AV E N E R

â&#x20AC;&#x153;. . .W E A R S O M E T H I N G DA R I N G â&#x20AC;?

Manthe Penton Harrap

christmas CORSAGE

A ﬂourish of foliage mingles with repurposed materials, our resident ﬂorist Nina Dales shares her step by step instructions to make your very own Christmas Corsage. Forming a basic template for hat augmentation or a lapel decoration. Adding texture, colour and layers will transform your look.

Nina uses her knowledge of plants and ﬂowers to help us choose pieces for our decoration. An angel turned, the leaf formation all add to the whole, from elements in their own right to a festive combination for the holidays.

Visit The Hat Channel TV YouTube for a step by step video for how to complete your Christmas corsage

ith w n I d e k n i L n o Connect

A LOOK

ANTHONY WILLIAMS His natural talent attracts customers; he needs to stand out as the guest host. An outfit that would turn heads, a flat cap was his trade mark. Everyone could find him. He stood out from the crowd. More hats

A F L AT C A P W A S H I S TRADE MARK.

have been added to his collection. He wears hats

Anthony uses his trade

for business, hats for

mark hat to brand his

pleasure and hats to just

management style. It all

put on his head.

began with dialogues in a

Anthony can be

meet and greet for

seen wearing a

friends. His skills bring

blazer or

people together in

waistcoat and of

special venues. Gradually,

course a familiar

he was noticed as the

ﬂat cap. Made

man who could control an

from ﬁne wool

event. He brought in

these ﬂat caps

more and more new

continue to do

clients.

him service. At

HE FINDS THEY WALK I N A S C U S TO M E R S A N D L E AV E TO RETURN AGAIN AS FRIENDS.

the start, he went to

diﬃcult situation before it

straw ‘Crocodile Dundee’

charity shops to ﬁnd his

gets ugly with his

hat. Many people start

clothes and work out a

connections and people

conversations about the

mix and match that gave

around him. He can

hat and move on to their

him a ‘jump start’ on his

neutralise the situation

needs for their visit to the

look. Later more clothing

with the way he conducts

venue.

brands and independent

himself.

shops wanted him to wear their creative brands. Now, he chooses from the

He ﬁnds they walk in as M A N Y P E O P L E S TA R T C O N V E R S AT I O N S A B O U T T H E H AT . . .

best and continues his fashion statements.

customers and leave to return again as friends. Head hunted for his latest

He rarely has to call for

job at sought after venue

the security team to sort

at ‘The Sky Bar’ in The

He ﬁnds that his clothes

out a problem.

Hilton Hotel, Anthony has

oﬀer a better model for

Even the seasons do not

an extensive collection of

customers to take him

deter him from hat

hats; from trucker caps to

seriously. He uses his

wearing. The summer

baseball caps to Beanies

status to befriend his

heat oﬀered him an

they all have a place in

clients and can break up a

opportunity to wear a

this hat collection.

AS PRETTY AS ROSE PETALS, BLOOMING IN SPRINGTIME. Art Exhibition Canada

Get in touch to discover your next hat creation from Christine’s Atelier Millinery Bringing your imaginations to life in wearable art and design aesthetics

@christinesatelier | christinesatelier.com | info@christinesatelier.com | Stockist: @myqlady

PERFECTION Max has a passion born

wanted was to make them

and had the right

out of his personal drive

himself. No more

proportions to meet his

for hats. He was always

searching for the right hat

exacting requirements.

trying to buy hats. He

- by creating his own, he

loves the Tibetan

could reach his goal. He

Max perfected his skills to

Cowboys, Congolese

knew how to change hats

produce hats that have

Sapeurs and Yardies for

but now he must make

high crowns and sit high

their individual styles.

the whole hat from

on the head. This look was

scratch.

inspired by the Cholitas

He went to great lengths, buying second-hand hats and re-blocking them to

from Bolivia who wear A P I V OTA L M O M E N T CAME WHILE SITTING AT H E AT H R O W . . .

emphasise the open

bowler hats that sit perched on the front of their heads just above

crown he was looking for.

Opening his own studio,

their foreheads. Even the

Stopped in the street, hats

set on an island was an

cushions were

orders came from

idyllic and

strangers wanting to

practical

recreate his look. Friends

solution.

who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ďŹ nd hats like

Learning the

his and are keen to have

skills from an

both a hat and a strategic

experienced

cushion to lift and tilt.

hatter was a dream come

A pivotal moment came

true. Now he

while sitting at Heathrow.

could

He was approached to

concentrate

make another hat using

on his

his customised cushion.

passion,

He decided the only way

make hats

to create the hats that he

that felt right,

experiments

unusual shapes with open

that developed

crowns. This is a rounded

to the

domed crown with a

comfortable

distinctive pleat that trade

place they are

marks Max’s hat designs.

now. Enclosed

Crafted with felt or fur a

within exotic

hood is worked with

African prints,

steam and blocked. The

these waxed

open crown is achieved

fabrics, in

giving the hat a regal look

simple abstracts and pop art forms, are soft and

THE OPEN CROWN IS ACHIEVED GIVING T H E H AT A R E G A L LO O K O N T H E TO P O F T H E H E A D.

oﬀer a one of a kind look with

on the top of the head.

limited runs of

Max is keen to make his

each pattern.

hats as sustainable of

When the

possible by using natural

cushion is

stiﬀeners and wool or fur

tightened the

hood. The fur ones have

hat sits taller,

some rabbit fur, a by

while loosening

product of rabbit farming,

the tie brings

mixed into the wool

the hat nearer

giving a very soft felt.

to the forehead.

Furthermore, the wool is all natural too. Of course

He sets felt and

working with old hats and

fur caps for his

re-blocking them is

winter hats. In

another way. Max often

the summer,

uses this approach too.

straw is worked to make

When you put it on, it is

your instinct that takes over. Go with the ďŹ&#x201A;ow and you will enjoy your new hat. It is the wearer of the hat that transforms it from being

M A X E X P L A I N S T H AT NO ONE CAN CHOOSE A H AT F O R YO U.

a hat, to a magniďŹ cent hat. It brings it alive. The

between artists has

adventurous styles. He

greatest joy for Max is

resulted in unique hats

likes to hold on to a style

when a customer sends a

that showcase as unique

and add a twist. The

photograph of

images. Artistry and

colour range is driven by

themselves wearing one

craftsmanship combine to

supply and demand. Pick

of his hats. It transmits the

reach showstoppers. Max

wisely because no hat is

joy of the wearer.

likes to collaborate and is

replicated. Designs may

open to more

be similar but never

Max explains that no one

opportunities in this area.

identical. His new

can choose a hat for you.

Some of his hats were

collection of caps with the

beaded and blocked with

open crown will be out

amazing results. I am sure

soon.

Some collaboration

more new creations are in the pipeline.

P I C K W I S E LY B E C AU S E N O H AT I S R E P L I C AT E D.

He continues to make bowler hats

F O L LO W H I S STO R Y

and push the

@ M A X _ A _ H AT T E R

envelop to more

LIGHTS, CAMERA,

ACTION! A man in a red suit wearing a matching hat with a white fur trim. You may think he is familiar.

...CAPTURED THE I M A G I N AT I O N O F T H E N AT I O N A N D T H E W O R L D.

If we look closely at these Christmas traditions around the world, there is often a character to

This fashion trend all

A Coca-Cola advert

distribute gifts. The names

began with a bottle of

vary across the globe but

pop. The billboard advert

Clarke Moore and

all have a link to children.

for a popular product

Thomas Nast took the

From mid-December

captured the imagination

fancy of the masses. At

country-wide rituals have

of the nation and the

the time, a charity wanted

been handed down over

world.

to raise some money and

the generations.

constructed a larger-than-life model.

There are links back to a

Crowds ďŹ&#x201A;ocked to see

Saint 2000 years ago, who

it. Later the Salvation

wanted to help the poor

Army dressed as Father

children. Saint Nicholas

Christmasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to give presents to the

was a Greek Christian Bishop born in Myra in

children to pay

Lycia (now in modern-day

for the free

Turkey). He had to

Christmas

disguise his gifts to

lunches they

support the parents who

provided for the

were not willing to accept

poor. This

charity. His ingenuity was

popular trend

second to none.

has continued.

Supporting families in a

covert way was a masterly

presents.

way forward. The names; Père Furthermore, stories of

Noël in France to

calming the seas and

Papai Noel in Brazil

miracles gave him

resonate with us

notoriety. He rates as the

all. Having all been