Every hat tells a story, let’s take it from the top
SAHAR FREEMANTLE likes to make hats which “tell stories of the wearer through t he det a i l s ”. T he award-winning milliner is based in London, specialising in hand-made hats for women “which have great shapes, complement the wearer and are comfortable”.
She also runs workshops to teach the craft of millinery, as well as The Milliner’s Drawing Room, offering hat-focused life drawing classes.
Both of her ventures aim to bring out participants’ creativity, so her audience are not just passive spectators or wearers, but intrinsically involved in the creation process.
Sahar Milliner y also has a subbrand called Ugly Lovely, which is “a playful exploration of what beauty is, taking inspiration from nature and surrealism”.
Freemantle’s work has been exhibited at the V&A and featured in the Guardian, Independent and Evening Standard, as well as on screen in Downton Abbey.
Celebrit y clients include Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith and Katy Perry.
With hats on our mind — although we may not yet be able to go to shul — we asked Freemantle to tell us more.
HOW DID YOU COME TO DESIGN HATS?
I did my degree in costume design and making at Edinburgh College of Art, and got the basics in millinery there. Millinery summed up everything from my degree that I loved — it had a bit of everything; design, making, sculpture, fashion, attention to detail and all-out flamboyance.
The right hat will finish off your look — when you know you look good in a hat, it inspires confidence.
I love to dedicate my life to making women look great and feel confident — this is what Sahar Millinery aims to achieve.
WHAT HATS DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE?
Mostly I make women’s occasionwear hats — I have a good selection which are ready to wear and I create bespoke, made-toorder pieces too.
Women normally bring me their outf it s, to eit her my studio or to one of my pop-up shops, and then we will s p e nd t i me t r y - ing on the various shapes and st yles of hats which I have. Then — based on what they liked and what suited them — we will come up with a design for them, in colours which match their outfit.
I have another range which are the Panama hats — for this collection I work with talented women artisans in Ecuador, who hand-weave the hats before they are brought over here to be blocked and trimmed. They are all fair-trade and sustainable.
For daywear, I have a selection of trilby hats for the winter and fun headbands, which are quite turbanesque. The height is f lattering and they are designed to be worn as daywear, with jeans or a dress.
The occasion hats are mostly between £250 and £450, with some pieces up to £900.
I have a couple of “lockdown creations” which are pretty special — a huge bird-wing creation using wings from birds which have died naturally.
And there is a leather sequin piece with huge sequins clustered all down one side.
Panama hats are normally £200 to £240 but they are now on special offer at my pop-up shop in Brent Cross Shopping Centre, for £150 to £180.
My headbands are mostly £35.
Wearers are intrinsically involved in the creation process’
WHERE WILL WE BE ABLE TO BUY THE HATS AND FOR HOW LONG ARE THEY AVAILABLE?
Right now I have a pop-up shop in Brent Cross Shopping Centre, which will be open until at least September 19, or longer if it goes well.
Normally I work from my studio near Piccadilly Circus, in central London, where clients can make an appointment to see me.