Gina Foster makes gorgeous millinery. If you're the Duchess of Cambridge, or in that set, or for that matter, Miriam González Durántez Clegg, who wore Foster's Excelsior (£198) to the Diamond Jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul's, you already know that.
If on the other hand, the thought of having to wear a proper, Occasion Hat sends you into a tail-spin - and it's remarkable how many otherwise rational women become alarmed/angered/indignant-to-the-point of becoming a class warrior at the prospect of having to place decorative straw in proximity to scalp - and you're ready to splash out, this is your woman.
Foster's hats deliver high style and drama without ever veering into fatuous exhibitionism. Whether it's Premier, £480, a giant black flower perched on the side of the head, Krupp £495, a Zaha Hadid-ian falling petal with an undertow of silk flowers most recently seen on the Duchess of Cambridge, or my own favourite, Millennium, £375, a smallish pillbox with a corona of flowers and veil that's designed to be worn towards the front of the head, they are beautiful, and romantic, yet sculptural, precise and chic.
READ: Royal Ascot 2012 style guide
More crucially yet, they flatter. Half an hour in the calm of Foster's tiny jewel-box like shop just off Kensington High Street will convince even the most sceptical, panicked browser. Although she designs beautiful brims (her tilted saucer shapes do as much for cheekbones as any implants) one of her specialties is the headpiece. Not to be confused with a fascinator (these distinctions matter when it comes to passing muster with the new rules in operation at Royal Ascot's enclosure later this month), a headpiece has a base measuring at least 4 inches in diameter. She also designs hairbands with a single large rose, which, she suggests, would be ideal for a young girl.
Orlov £365; Millenium £375; Krupp £495
Foster is devoid of gush to the point of seeming slightly austere - and seems all the more trustworthy for it. She's not going to sell you a hat that doesn't suit. " I always start by asking the event, " she says. "That dictates to a large part what kind of hat. Ascot requires something more showy than a country wedding, although Millennium would do well for both. For somewhere like Cheltenham Races you could wear a trilby". Millennium incidentally, was the model Princess Beatrice wore recently and, as Foster modestly asserts " she got quite a good press".
READ: Five rules for sartorial success at Royal Ascot
Equally important is face shape. "Long faces work best with round, soft hats, " she suggests. " Asymmetric angles are universally flattering. A small headpiece set at an angle is great for round faces. An oval can wear anything. But shorter women are generally better in smaller brims, although in the end it comes down to personality".
Given the amount of work in her hats - silk flowers are hand dyed to match clients' outfits "(they often come in with their outfit and we start from there") - the straw comes from the Philippines and the pheasant feathers from the UK - her prices, which are comparable to a pair of designer shoes, are not unreasonable. Bespoke hats can take 4-6 weeks to arrive.
Now 37, Foster, who studied history of art then worked as a chalet girl says she knew nothing about hats until she began interning for Noel Stewart, Jess Collett and eventually working for Stephen Jones on his Miss Jones line. Attracted to the drama of hats, she studied at Kensington and Chelsea College three days a week, even though at the time, millinery looked like a dying trade. Two years ago opened her shop from where, she keeps a meticulous record of who has bought what - and where they plan to wear it. "I did 25 hats for the Royal Wedding and no one had the same as anyone else. "
www.ginafoster.co.uk
Via: Royal Ascot 2012: Looking for the perfect hat for Ascot? Pay a visit to Gina Foster
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