Elise Gustilo
Milliner
London, United Kingdom
Headwear for the bold and brave
- Elise is a millinery designer based in London
- She specialises in bespoke hat creations
- She is a student of Rose Cory, a Royal milliner of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elise Gustilo developed her skills in the world of high fashion. She has worked for brands including Ralph & Russo, an illustrious haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion house. However, it was millinery that called to her and in the summer of 2017, Elise moved into her first studio after receiving an award from The Prince’s Trust and Cockpit Arts. She is driven by creative freedom and uses flower-making techniques to craft her hats. Never ceasing to innovate, Elise has become an established star of the British millinery scene. Her works are wearable pieces of art, looking to the future but rooted in tradition. Elise's designs are a continuous exploration of different ways to achieve the wow factor – both through the pieces themselves and in bringing out the best in the wearer.
INTERVIEW
My tutor was Rose Cory, a Royal Warrant Holder to the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. As a Royal milliner and teacher for almost 50 years, Rose taught me the traditional techniques of millinery and imparted her knowledge and experience gained from a lifelong dedication to the craft.
I developed my process for creating hat blocks by exchanging sculpting techniques with a puppet maker. You might think there is no relation between millinery and puppets, but it is amazing to discover the cross-over you can find between crafts.
To me, well made means a certain pride has been taken in the work. Each detail has been carefully considered. The design looks balanced and the construction is strong. I find the simplest designs are often the gauge – there is no ‘fluff’ to hide bad workmanship.
Millinery itself is not in danger. But hat block making is a critically endangered craft. Without hat blocks, most milliners will find it difficult to make most of their hats. To futureproof my business, I therefore developed a way to sculpt my own hat blocks.
