Posh People: An Update with Milliner Ellen Christine, President of Ellen Christine Couture, Inc. Sponsored by The Cutler Salon
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Ellen Christine is a Mover and Shaker:
And it is time for an update on what is hot in hats with Ellen!
Peachy Deegan interviewed Ellen Christine for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: This fall, what hat styles are in vogue in Manhattan, and other parts of the world?
Ellen Christine: The fedora, the soft slouch hat, and the cap are the leading styles as far as trend goes on a universal level. The cloche remains the winning winter hat for style and warmth.
Is there any differentiation from Europe to the USA, and other parts of the world?
For what hat to wear, it's always a practical matter: what keeps me warm? Geography doesn't change the needs of a stylish head.
What summer hats did you enjoy seeing on people the most and why this past summer?
People were actually wearing hats with brims and not baseball caps. Hats add such a touch of elan to outfits, that they raise the bar everywhere.
What should the world know about hats that most people do not know?
That they don't bite. That they're sexy, and will get admiring looks and compliments from all and sundry. That they will raise your spirits, change your point of view, and immediately perk up any outfit.
What hats should men wear?
Men should try on all styles of fedoras, homburgs, and pork-pies, and see which suits his face. Men are so handsome in hats. All the Hollywood movie stars knew that.
Please tell us about the exciting launch of "Henri Bendel by Ellen Christine Millinery" collection in all their stores and its evolution.
The CEO of HB came to me and simply asked me to design a collection for Henri Bendel. Since HB was originally a millinery way back in 1865 when it was founded, this was a great project. Very honored. They decided to put a cocktail hat collection in all of their stores nation-wide, and our own Ellen Christine Millinery collection as well, in the New York store. And the launch happened on Fashion's Night Out! Very exciting.
What hats of yours go best with the Anna Baiguera flats sold there, and which ballet flats?
Since I wear her ballerinas myself, I can tell you that it's not the hat, it's the girl under the hat that will pull it all together. A cloche works great for daytime, or a snappy little fedora. For evening, those little ballerinas work with a perky cocktail hat or fascinator. You don't need 4 inch heels or a tall frame to make a great hat work for you.
Pretty soon it's going to be one big Henri Bendel party at Whom You Know between your hats, those shoes, and Snowberry! What is your most favorite Snowberry product and why?
It has to be the cleanser, because of the way it works in an instant on eye-make-up. I've never used anything like it. the skin around the eye is delicate, so you need a product that gets in, does the job, and leaves your skin fabulously clean, with no effort.
What runway shows that you have participated in since your Mover and Shaker interview have been the most relevant for you from a creative perspective?
Malan Breton lets me work with architecture, and that always takes millinery to a new level.
Who are the hottest designers today that you would like to work with in runway shows?
Isabel Toledo and, Issey Miyake, Norma Kamali, hands down to start with. The spanish/latin designers: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Elisa Palomino, diametrically opposite, would be so much fun, too.
What private or public citizens would you like to put in hats and which ones?
Private citizens: everyone in need of a hat to protect their head while they're in chemotherapy, definitely. In the public sector, I'd love to do Mrs. Obama. With her new little tously hairdo, a headpiece would so work for her. And why not a little hat for some of the State affairs? The world needs to see our First Lady looking cutting edge.
Tell us about working with the women on The View please, especially Elisabeth as she went to college with Peachy...her brother-in-law Matt was one of Peachy's first interviews....in 1996!
The View was a surprise, but they wanted hats for their Royal Wedding show. We really thought that Whoopi would be onboard, so the hats we prepared for the ladies of The View were done with each personality in mind. It was a total surprise to have Goldie Hawn, the guest for the day, in one of our headpieces! It's funny you mentioned Elisabeth because the piece I did for her was from the same collection your hat came from! And she looked great in it, too! Ellen Christine Millinery was on five tv shows that day, and I hope everyone had fun wearing us and looking fabulous for America.
What does it feel like to be on the cover of Italian Vogue and what did it take to get there? (actually maybe it feels like you feel when you drink The Peachy?)
How did you know??? It's exactly like drinking the Peachy Deegan! To get onto the cover of Italian Vogue was another surprise. The stylist from that shoot, Karl Templer, has been working with us for a decade or so. When Karl Templer calls, we are always sure it's going to be incredible exposure. This was over the top, and a total surprise. We never knew until it came out. The shoot was divine: what he requested was an YSL, Chanel feel, and we had the perfect hat in our collection. It's a boater, made of vintage hand-braided straw, topped with a saucy little wisp of silk organza that shimmers violet in the light.
Do you think you can get Italian Vogue to do a shoot of your hats at San Pietro with the model drinking our favorite cocktail there?
We can always try! Magazines are always scouting for interesting locations. One of the most influential shoots our hats were on in "The September Issue "was in a restaurant.
Is it only a coincidence that your dog and the bartender at San Pietro have the same name? We know you adore them both.
Love Sam. Both of them. the bartender at San Pietro is wonderful, and I love when he is on the floor, talking to us all at our table, not just behind the bar. I love the Peachy Deegan he whips up for us. All of the people at San Pietro are extremely warm and friendly.
Tell us all we should know about Roberto Alagna and how fascinated he is with your hats.
Roberto Alagna is my favorite tenor in the world. Not bad on the eyes, either. He appears at The Met for several operas every season, so you have to run and get tickets because they sell out fast. His diction and intonation remind me of the way that Sinatra handled his lyrics. He has single-handedly changed the face of opera in the last 10 years by making the opera tenor into a matinee idol once again. When I first met him, the first question I asked was : "What is your head size"? He has a gorgeous mane of hair, and I really wanted to make him a hat. So, this year, he'll be coming to the studio for a fitting if his schedule allows enough time.
What other magazines have you been the most excited to be in?
We're always thrilled to be in any Vogue issue, since it's still the bible of the fashion industry. But Essence did a great layout this Fall, all about hats, and the response was overwhelming. We love being in esoteric independent publications as well. And our work with W Magazine has been the most artistic fun we can have in an American publication.
What is it like to work with the Met Opera?
The Metropolitan Opera Shop is brand new, and we were so happy when they decided to let us develop headpieces and hats for their clients. After all, it's a wonderful thing, to help carry over the magic that happens on that stage, the greatest opera house in the world. We do collections that reflect the current season, and now we're on the website: metoperashop.org!
What did you think of The Royal Wedding and what hats did you favor the most from it?
My favorite hat of the day was the Treacy. The Treacy. That would be the headpiece that Phillip Treacy made for Princess Beatrice. That one. I wrote an entire piece about that hat, with a list of my favorites, as well. Basically, the Royal Wedding was the trumpet call for the world to notice hats. People who are not used to wearing them may not jump on the bandwagon immediately, but perhaps now, the naked heads in the world will not feel so afraid to try something new and different. The Royal Wedding let the world see how much fun a hat can be.
What advice would you have for Peachy and others that face obtuse strangers at cocktail parties and the like that cannot resist petting Peachy's head when she is wearing a fabulous hat by you?
It's a constant problem that lots of my clients have. People for some unknown reason, feel the need to touch your hat. In a situation like that, sometimes mirroring their behavior works. When they touch you, you touch them. It's a bit more polite that slapping their wrists , and they may indeed notice that it's an invasion of your space. Not to mention, dangerous for the hat!
What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?
I want a design school! It's a personal and professional goal of mine to open a design school in Puerto Rico.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at a cocktail party?
Something besides toilet paper sticking to your shoe? My personal fave at a cocktail party is when the feathers on my hat tickle the people standing next to me, or the waiter.
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
I would love to have been the security/Cia that caught Lee Harvey Oswald BEFORE he shot President Kennedy. For obvious reasons.
If you could have dinner with any person living or passed, who would it be and why?
Dinner with the Countess of Castiglione would be my fantasy. Her sense of style was unsurpassed.
What do you personally do or what have you done to give back to the world?
Just formed: The Committee of Fashion for Development, based in the UN, and they have asked me to participate. The goal is to foment, plan, activate and participate in helping third world countries generate income via fashion. The editor of Italian Vogue is our Ambassador, and the goal for this year is to bring attention to Haiti.
My other favorite charity activity is volunteering for The East Side House Settlement, that organizes The Winter Antiques Show. For fifteen years, I've manned the door in a fabulous hat. Say hello when you're up there this year!
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
Readers need to know that they can call upon me personally any time . We accept private clients in the studio, but you'd be surprise at how may questions people have about hats. Call, write, email, tweet: I'm there.
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
Phone: 212-242-2457, Twitter: @ellenchristine
