lucky and blessed." She says humbly. "I had mentors and opportunities that I could have never dreamed of when I was younger. Like my time in London... I learned so much from Rose. She was so generous with her time, and the training was so very intense. We learned to block on wooden hat blocks, we used steam, we used materials like sinamay which is woven from the stalks of the abaca tree." She explains. "Abaca fiber is stronger than cotton or silk, and as a result of that, sinamay holds a very firm shape. It is one of the most common materials used in hat making. Rose also taught me how to work with luxury felts and fabrics along with textured materials like buckram. Buckram is used to make pill box hats in which you take fabric and then cover the buckram with it. Everything is hand sewn!" She proudly boasts. "That's what we call Couture. Couture work is all done by hand."
So with all of Celeste Smith's accomplishments and accolades over her long and illustrious career, what kinds of things keep her inspired and motivated in this new and ever changing world of fashion? "Mentoring! I love to work with and teach children." She says. Smith holds hat making workshops and teaches the intricacies of the craft to eager young girls who are captivated by the elaborate shapes, adornments, and vibrant colors of her creations... much like she was when she was their age. "It may be a dying art, but I am going to do everything in my power to pass it along to the next generation of young people." She decries. "I try to keep things fun for the girls. I have their mothers bring them by the studio for afternoon tea so they can learn about the culture of hats, and get introduced to things like etiquette and high society. Then after tea, we will work on little hat projects... and then some of the girls come back for more in-depth instruction and mentoring. I just love it. The girls really warm my heart!"
So what kind of advice would Smith give to someone who wants to enter the fashion world as a Milner? And where does she see the industry headed? "I think that you really have to have a passion for it and understand that Millinery is a trade that takes a lot of dedication and hard work to master." She cautions. "But it really is fun and rewarding if you stay committed and see it through. And as far as where the future of hats is headed... I know people don't wear hats as much as they used to in the old days, but they are really starting to come back and I think you will start to see more and more people wearing them."
As I sip my last drop of afternoon tea and begin to bid Celeste Smith a fond farewell, she leaves the room for a moment, and then returns with three custom pastel-colored, tall, stingy-brimmed Fedoras that she has made special just for me, for an upcoming photo shoot project. I am touched and elated. Where have all the flowers gone? Well maybe I just stumbled upon the long lost answer.
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