Just when you thought the North Melbourne Market couldn’t get any better with all it’s stalls, fashion displays and live performances, Bonnie Evelyn Millinery jumped on board! So now, on the 11th September, at the Lithuanian Club in North Melbourne there will be a vast range of Bonnie Evelyn headwear for sale HOORAY!! Pieces will range from large, high-impact, serious headwear, to tasty little teasers and everything in between!  Along with the ready-to-wear range, we will be taking orders for custom made headwear, made specially to match your look. There is something to complete everyones Spring Racing Carnival outfit!

For any inquiries please contact:
info@northmelbournemarket.com
www.northmelbournemarket.com

Check out our first Model of the Month!! Emma van Leest is our lovely Miss August. Click here to see the photos and read about Emma….

The beautiful Emma van Leest

Caussade and Septfonds XIXth Festival of Millinery, 14th-17th July 2011
Blog post by Catherine Ellen

Catherine at her stall

Caussade seemed such a fantasy, so far away. I had about two and a half weeks to construct two fabulous headpieces and get them couriered to Caussade for the Caussade and Septfonds XIXth Festival of Millinery hat competition held in the South of France.

I arrived with Guillaume (my Parisian friend who acted as my French interpreter) in Caussade. We went to see a couple of hat exhibitions: one exhibited previous winners of the Caussade festival and another exhibited Boisalino which is a manufacturer of men’s felt and straw hats – as famous in France as Akubra in Australia. Our favorite exhibition of course was of the entrants for the current hat competition, there were some absolute beauties! In fact, there were very few that I thought were below par and seeing the competition was quite humbling.

We had our own stand at the special hat market and we set up a good little system for demonstrating and sharing our knowledge. People went away with samples of materials, raw and completed. The dupion silk I found in Paris in various colours and black and white was beautiful and added to the various pieces I had brought over from Melbourne. In the end, I only had time to make a couple of flowers to take with me as examples. Ours was a very popular stand. I made flowers and Guillaume did demonstrations and talked to the punters. We worked through the afternoon till about 7.30 then would stop for dinner and reopen for the evening market.

On the final night of the festival there was a catwalk parade for the hat competition of finalists hats. The models came out in groups as per the hat categories. Winners were announced at the end of each category’s parade. First category was the open section. We saw Sharon Dale’s (good friend and Melbourne Milliner) leather hat. Then came Feathers and flowers. It was lovely to see Sue Drerup’s, Bonnie Evelyn’s and both of my hats in the finals. Then the winner was announced: Catherine Ellen, hooray! Then it was Straw, Felt, Amateurs, the St Catherine and Show/spectacle. There was a special prize for the Hat Magazine’s choice, and Sharon won that one.

So all in all a very good evening, a very good festival.

www.catherineellen.com

Steaming Machine

Guillaume's demonstration

Legislation, news coverage on the legal profession, reviews on recent case law and now one foxy little lawyer dressed to kill at the race track! That’s right, the Law Institute Journal is colouring the pages of their August edition with a photo shoot of the lovely Alexandra Foxcroft – last years winner of the Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field Competition (who’s hat was designed and made by moi while working at The Essential Hat). The fox has been shot (along with some horses) at Flemington wearing her pick of stunning outfits including some special Bonnie Evelyn Millinery pieces.

Many thanks to Alex for giving us some sneaky behind-the-scenes pics of her race wear for the four days of Flemington races – Derby, Cup, Oaks and Stakes. Can’t wait to see the final product…. coming soon to a Law Institute Journal near you!

Alex Foxcroft and Friend

Foxy finishes FIRST!!