What really goes on behind the scenes. Industry experts share their knowledge

Piers Atkinson is a milliner who shows as part of Headonism, the British Fashion Council’s initiative with Royal Ascot. With Royal Ascot commencing this Tuesday 18 June, Atkinson currently has pop-up shops in Browns, Fenwick and selected branches of Harvey Nichols, selling hats he has created specifically for racing season.

How did you become involved in millinery?
My mother made hats and it’s something I always did – I made hats when I went out clubbing and what have you. I didn’t think I’d make a business out of it but Nick Knight and Kate Phelan shot one of my hats and put it in Vogue so suddenly I had a brand. I sort of did it by accident, I didn’t realise it would ever be a job, I thought I might make a few nice things for press, maybe one or two pieces for private clients. I didn’t realise I was going to end up with a studio and employees and VAT returns.   

Do you have a favourite client?
Well, I have private clients, whom I wouldn’t talk about and then, of course, in a more public environment, there is Anna Dello Russo. She is amazing for clothes full-stop but obviously she’s a hat lover and I feel really proud when she wears one of my hats. When you look at the other labels she’s wearing, she’s got exquisite taste, so for me to be on that guest list, if you want to put it that way, is wonderful.

How should a person choose a hat?
It’s about finding the right hat for the right person and that’s to do with two things. One is the size and shape of the whole body as well as the face, but also how that person feels. I do demonstrations at Fenwick and I get to meet all these different people looking for hats for different occasions. All shapes, sizes, ages, hair colours, skin colours. It’s amazing how one hat will be perfect for somebody and look dreadful on the next person. It’s usually about how confident someone feels; the hat might look great on a person but if it’s too big or too fluffy and they don’t feel confident, then they shouldn’t wear it because confidence is a very important part of wearing a hat.

How do you feel about fascinators?
Fascinators grew out of cocktail hats, those little party hats, which are a great idea because a huge-brimmed hat at an indoor soiree is going to be difficult to manage; you’ll hit people. Now, I’m not particularly anti-cocktail hats with a small decoration, I make a few myself, but I don’t make fascinators. I think if you’re nervous of a hat, then maybe start with a fascinator and you’ll see that it’s quite easy to wear something on your head and everyone loves it and maybe you’ll progress to what I call the real thing.

Do you have any racing tips for Ascot?
I’m afraid not. They tried to show me how to do it last year but no one bets in my family so I wouldn’t be able to tell you anything. A couple of years ago, myself and another milliner, Noel Stewart, were at Ascot and I’m afraid to say we were choosing our bets based on the colours of the jockeys’ outfits.