Last month I did a portrait shoot with Caroline Morris. Caroline is a very talented milliner based in St Leonard, East Sussex. She launch her label “Caroline Morris Millinery” in 1996 and have made some of the most beautiful bespoke hats. Her collections has been sold worldwide and are featured in numerous magazines such as Vogue. Caroline was also appointed the resident artist at the Kensington Palace in 2004 and ran millinery workshops at the palace. She moved back to St Leonard in 2012 and has continued teaching at her workshops at her own studio as well as at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wallace Collection.
I met Caroline at her home and it was the most gorgeous house with elegance shinning around every corner. Caroline shows me some of her famous hats, and also the tools that she uses for hat making.
Speaking to Caroline at a prior meeting really gave me insight into her life and work. Interestingly, she told me some of her work has been inspired by French poems. Caroline’s hats were extravagant, elegantly wavy, delicate and floral like. They reflected Caroline’s adorable personality. I wanted to show these to our viewers.
For the shoot, I had my trusted assistant Cas to help. Cas is a bit of a charmer. :) He talks a lot, but indeed in a way that would make anyone smile. This was really perfect to ease the scene, and we had a good laugh whilst listening to some good old jazz and swing, drinking rose tea.
Putting everything delicately together on the stands, and with the most exquisite chair at her home, we created this image.
Caroline has kindly invited us to her house to celebrate Cas and his fiancé’s engagement. She made a gorgeous apple strudel which was unforgettable. The couple were over the moon to have her specialist advise on their wedding fashion, so thank you Caroline!
For see more of Caroline’s work, please visit http://carolinemorrismillinery.com/