Featured Artist: Holly Slayton

Head piece featured in Swoon Magazine.

Hats, hats, and more hats. I have been seeing them every where lately and not only on the runway, but on the streets and worn by the top fashion bloggers.  Because hats have been such a big item in the fashion scene, I wanted to go right to the source and find one local artist that is paving the way for the millinery industry.

Holly Slayton, owner of Artikal Handcrafted Millinery, has been producing custom hats for over 9 years for both men and women.  Here's what Holly had to say  about her designs:

1. What inspires your designs?

• I love vintage silhouettes so even if I'm not trying most of my hats look like they have come out of the 30's.  I make mostly cloches, fedoras and large brim hats out of straw and velour.

2. Do you make new collections each season?

• Yes and I am always creating new designs.  I also do a lot of custom bridal and cocktail hats. 

"(I) love (bridal) because I can be creative with every piece and make it special."  Photography by Marie Labbancz

 3. When does your next collection come out?

• I just did a lot of new designs for fall fashion week. I made hats for Terri Stevens line for project runway season 5.  She requested fedoras so I just finished a line of fedoras some with large brims and some with a lot of drapes. (The theme was a mix of) Diana Ross and 70's sexy super fly.

 

4. What kind of machinery do you use to make hats?

• Steamer, sewing machine, hat stretcher and a lot of hand stitching.

"(This) is my signature piece.  I love incorporating drapes in to my pieces."

5. Do you make the hats yourself or do you work with factories that make it for you?

• Everything is hand blocked and hand made by me in NYC.

6. How long does a typical hat take to make?

• A few days. It needs to dry on the block overnight. My panama straws are handwoven in Equador and take about 5 days to weave before the straw is imported and I then start making the hats.

 7. Can we buy your hats in any stores or do you only sell online?

• I only sell exclusively online, in my studio which is open 2 nights a week, and at craft fairs and trunk shows. I had up to 8 stores carrying my line, but prefer to sell it myself and have created a large customer base this way.  Plus I ship everywhere so the internet is easy to reach a lot more people.

Bridal piece featured in Novias InFashion Magazine.

8. Now that fashion week is over, what do you see happening for Fall 2011 for accessories?

• More hats...

Thanks Holly for sharing!

Holly also offers workshops so you can make your own custom hat at her East Village studio.  I think it's great that she is willing to share her knowledge. For more info on when she offers workshops, check out her schedule.