Hi there! My name is Claire and I am the designer maker behind EMBELLISH.

I fell in love with hats 20 years ago and I've been making them ever since. Over the last decade I have made custom headwear for theatre and film. My hats have entertained audiences at The Globe, Dr Who, English National Opera and many more theatres. You might have also seen my headwear creations in Queen Charlotte, Loki II and Bridgerton S3.

Hats have the power to transform your mood and express your personality.

They can shout across the room "it's my birthday" or subtly complete your look for dinner with friends.

I trained at Bretton Hall Art College and The London College of Fashion for 3 years in sculpture, mask and puppet making. I still use those skills today when I make my own hat blocks! And it was here that I discovered costume archives and all the wonderful images and objects you can access through them.

I then learned the craft of traditional hat making, on a 5 year apprenticeship at Royal Warrant holders Lock & Co Hatters. I was taught by amazing milliners who had been making hats for over 30 years.

My designs fuse vintage shapes with modern wearability. I am inspired by so much!  1930's and 40's fashion, pavement cracks, military buttons, Victorian metal work, dusky summer sunsets, tropical fish and Bauhaus paintings to name a few.

I make my hats and headdresses in small batches from my studio in East London. It's just me, myself and I running the show, so rest easy with the knowledge that when you wear one of my creations, you are ducking out of mass production and fast fashion. 

I design my little hats to be easy to wear, with an adjustable elastic that fits around the nape of your neck.

Captivating, charming, stylish...  wearing hats is a lot of fun. 

(PS - you can see my portfolio of hats for film, theatre and TV over on www.clairestrickland.com )