MARIE GALVIN MILLINERY: CONFIDENT COUTURE

Marie Galvin Millinery

Confident Couture

Marie Galvin is a millinery designer who aims to create something new and refreshing that can empower those who wear her headpieces. Galvin believes that creating your identity as a designer is what sets you apart in the industry, and doing something similar to what other designers create makes you disappear into the background. This year marks 20 years of Marie Galvin Millinery being Boston’s Premier Milliner; her years of doing what she does best have simply not gone unnoticed.

Her first big break as a designer was back in 2001 at the annual Fresh Faces in Fashion show, where she was selected as one of eight designers to compete. Everyone in the industry was there that night, fashion designers, merchandisers, and more. She even got the chance to work alongside famous fashion designer, Zac Posen in the competition. Additionally, this competition happened only weeks after the tragedy of September 11th, and even though there was still an imposing fear and shock from the attack, people showed up to pull the competition together. That same year, British Hat Magazine had been accepting applications for their annual Hat Designer of the Year, and Galvin was chosen to be a finalist. This was a watershed moment for Galvin’s career. Despite being the only one who had not gone to a top fashion design school to learn her craft, she received first runner up. Galvin was ecstatic. As a self-taught Irish milliner, the win was a huge acknowledgment of everything she had worked for.

Galvin loves the confidence that she can give to those who walk into her store to buy one of her headpieces. Some of her customers may never have thought that this would be a fashion piece in their closet. With her creations, Galvin believes that the beautiful designs on each hat can transform any outfit. These couture pieces are gently priced items, meaning that her headpieces can provide that feeling of empowerment and confidence on a budget.

“A good headpiece commands the room. That’s what I love about my brand.” said Galvin.

Though Ms.Galvin likes to create larger scaled headwear for events like the Kentucky Derby, she also believes that a smaller piece can convey that same amount of drama that many look for when in the market for headwear. Galvin tends to lean more toward crafting delicate floral designs in unusual positions to create a surreal effect for clients who are going to wear the piece.

The most unique creations are the ones that you least expect to be your favorite. These pieces could be be a mash up of scrap fabric that was going to be thrown away, old paint that you don’t want to waste, etc. For Marie Galvin, it was just that; finding a challenge that would make her think of new ideas and step out of her comfort zone. She has established that she is an eco-minded and cruelty free designer, and has made a labor intensive project from found, damaged pheasant feathers, left over lining fabric and other miscellaneous objects to create a couture piece inspired by late forties and early fifties fashion. That piece still sits high on a shelf in her studio inspiring her to create more excellent and unique wearable art.

For many brands, challenges and obstacles are common, and you have to learn how to play the cards that you have been dealt. Marie Galvin was in New York City for September 11th, the 2008 economic crash that damaged small businesses and the New England “Snow-pocalypse” (as Galvin puts it) in 2015. At the end of 2016, her business was flooded for 10 days straight due to climate change driven storms, rising tidal floods, and century-old Boston infrastructure. Most recently, the COVID -19 pandemic has left many small businesses fighting for their lives because of the difficulty to have clients within the stores. It began to feel very lonely being shoved to the side with everything going wrong. Galvin was completely broken, financially, physically, and mentally, but she never let any of these challenges stop her. Instead she started to work harder in her craft. She never asked for help during these rough patches, which she believes to be the Irish in her telling her not to.

“I’m like a bloody phoenix rising again and again,” said Galvin.

This takes power to get up again and again, after everything in the world is telling you to stay down. Despite all of this loss and sacrifice, there are still new beginnings and success. Such as, the joy of hearing how special her creations make her clients feel. In a way, it makes Galvin feel as though she is a fashion therapist because she is helping clients feel good about themselves through what they are wearing. Galvin believes that she can help make a difference in the confidence that people feel in their lives, especially with demand from the media to constantly look a certain way.

“These clients come to me damaged by a society that demands you to look younger. That has a profound impact on aging women, their confidence and how they feel about themselves.” said Galvin.

Oftentimes, the media tears down women for looking older or not looking thin enough. The love of drawing attention to oneself has been replaced in these clients and has forced them to blend into the background because of their broken confidence. If a simple yet elegant headpiece can help someone’s confidence and make them feel powerful, then Galvin will do anything to make sure that she contributes to the process, and to make them look fabulous.

This confidence doesn’t apply to just women. As a brand, Marie Galvin Millinery has always made sure to work with a diverse and gender fluid selection of models from the very beginning. Galvin works with models of all colors, gender identities, ages, shapes, and sizes, to ensure that her clients are represented in everything that she creates. This decision allows customers to feel like they can better identify with her headpieces because they see themselves represented in every aspect of her brand. With this process, Galvin likes to get to know each of her clients, to really understand what they are looking for in their price range. This extra step is time-consuming, but Galvin wants to help guide her clients through the process of getting to know them in order to help them pick out a piece that will make them feel extraordinary. As for the future, Marie Galvin doesn’t exactly know what is ahead for her right now. All she knows is that a change is coming and she is ready for whatever life throws her way. Galvin has always, and will continue to be original, authentic, and transparent about everything she does. She has spent her entire career diving deep into her craft and ensuring that it will be nothing but excellent. Galvin may not always remember the names of every client that she has had over the years, but she will always remember the emotional connection she had with each client and the outcome of how the piece made them feel. Galvin likes to remain approachable and lighthearted with her customers and uses social media where she is authentically herself, adding in her cheeky sense of humor to relate to clients.

Marie Galvin Millinery is a place where confidence is born and nurtured into something incredible, touching the lives around her. Though this is not something she mentions all the time to her clients, Galvin likes to donate a percentage of her sales to her favorite charities. She wants to make sure that she can give wherever she can because she was once in a position where she needed the help.

“One should give for the sake of giving, not for the sake of recognition of the giving. What I’m trying to get comfortable with is the customer actually feels this makes their purchase more meaningful and socially aware.” Galvin says.

Whether it be a special event, or just a piece to have, Marie Galvin Millinery has a headpiece that will help support your confidence and help you simply stand out instead of blend in. Diversity is praised, so why not be your most authentic self with a brand that will support you?

@mariegalvinmillinery; mariegalvin.com