LAI SYMES

TRADITIONALLY TRAINED COUTURE MILLINER

Lai hand-makes luxury contemporary headwear from beautiful materials. She is inspired by colour, texture, nature, travel and storytelling. Her designs are sophisticated, artistic and playful with an emphasis on classic, elegant shapes which suit the face, define an outfit and add individuality.

Lai trained in London with Rose Cory MBE, milliner and Royal Warrant holder to the late Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. She makes all her hats from her studio by the sea in Eastbourne and has over 20 years experience working with bespoke customers.

Lai is a Queen Elizabeth Trust Scholar https://www.qest.org.uk and her work is known for it’s high level of finish and craftsmanship.

 

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COLOUR. TEXTURE. STORY.

“I love the expressive power of hats; what they say about you and how they make you feel. There is a real allure and signature about someone wearing a hat which says “this is me”. That is the language of hats I love.

Every customer is unique and so too is each hat and so the process is a collaboration of understanding how the customer wants to look and feel and considering all the aspects involved such as which shapes best flatter the face, overall silhouette and balance, which textures and colours lift the outfit and the occasion.

It is a love for the materials used in hat making that made me become a milliner. I am passionate about the sourcing and quality of all materials, from the hand carved wooden blocks the hats are made on, to the hand woven straws. It is fundamental to the way I work that I continue to learn, explore and develop my craft with the utmost respect for the materials I use and their origins”.