Having started out as an intern for Philip Treacy, milliner Rosie Olivia has since enjoyed an impressive career, seeing her create bespoke hats for an ever-growing client list, which includes Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and the Duchess of Cambridge’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton. Chatting to HELLO! Fashion about working with the "beautiful" Pippa, the talented designer revealed: "Pippa is a beautiful lady, so it was a pleasure to design a hat to frame her face." She added: "I love my job as I get to meet lots of different characters and style them with a great hat making them feel fabulous – there is something about a hat that can just transform someone’s confidence!"
Milliner Rosie Olivia boasts an impressive royal client list
And while working with Pippa has been firmly ticked off her bucket list, there is another member of the family that Rosie would very much like to work with. "Obviously if I made a hat for the Duchess of Cambridge that would be a dream," she said. "I’d love the challenge and also because she has the magic touch, everything she wears seems to be a sell out!"
Rosie even created a dazzling crown for Ford Fiesta
As a royal milliner, it seems only natural that Rosie has previously made a crown for Ford Fiesta, that weighed in at a staggering 90kg and featured 200 hand painted crystals and 800m of seat belts. Discussing the inspiration behind the design, she said: "I wanted to create a crown that brought to life the details and attributes of the new Ford Fiesta. I designed a crown with a quilted leather headband and royal blue crown jewels and used an actual gear stick as the centre piece along with seat belt arches. It was really important to me that the crown reflected the Fiesta but whilst following my millinery techniques. It was really fun to experiment with new materials - I’ve certainly never used leather and metal on a hat before!"
Rosie's impressive studio
And when it comes to finding the perfect hat to suit your face shape, Rosie has the answers..
1) PICK THE RIGHT SHAPE FOR YOUR FACE. Different hat styles suit different people and with a variety of shapes it is important to select the right one. Large brim hats suit taller ladies, whilst smaller hats and pill box hats suit round faces. For ladies with a fringe, it is best to cover the hair line so the fringe does not get squashed.
2) EXPERIMENT WITH THE POSITION OF YOUR HAT. Not all hats belong in the centre of our heads, some look best further forward or angled above the eyebrow. For a stylish look, I recommend placing hats at an angle to match the angle of a jaw line or wear a Jackie O style pill box that sits at the back of your head.
3) SELECT A HAT TO COMPLIMENT YOUR OUTFIT. A hat can make the perfect finishing touch – choose a complimentary base colour and a trimming that works with your chosen colour palette and textures..
4) ACCESSORISE TO COMPLIMENT YOUR HAT. It is best to select a subtle earring if your hat has lots of detail. Don’t overdo it! Pair with diamond studs or something simple and classic like a pearl. When selecting makeup I recommend a strong eye and a good lippy!
5) YOUR HAT. A good hat should feel very comfortable to wear, look great and work with your outfit, but most importantly go for the hat that you feel confident wearing - this will be the right one! Stand out from the crowd!
