2025 Design Award - Millinery Australia

The 2025 Millinery Australia Design Award celebrates the work of the Fellow and Life Members of the Association.

The theme for 2025 was ‘CELEBRATION’.

Each piece was judged by an expert panel on the criteria of innovative design, quality workmanship, wearability and relevance to the theme.

The judging panel included Louise Macdonald, Michele Cameron and Alicia Marshall.

Winner

Rebecca Share ‘Pigs Do Fly’

Balloons are a universal symbol of celebration, joy and childlike wonder. For me, they will always be tied to birthday parties, especially the ones my mum lovingly organised when I was young. She created the most magical moments, filled with colourful balloons, fun games and laughter. Balloons were always my favourite part; they just make people happy.

This headpiece is a whimsical tribute to those memories and to my mum, who used to say “Pigs fly, Rebecca” whenever I shared a wild dream or idea. So, I created this pink balloon pig to say – yes, Mum, pigs really do fly!

This piece is a tribute to childhood magic, celebration and the joy of turning the impossible into something playfully possible.

Second Place

Tracey Tau ‘We’re Off to Paris’

In May last year I travelled with my daughter and my four best friends for a most memorable trip to France.

To me, the Eiffel Tower is the epitome of French symbolism and this headpiece is my tribute to celebrating this once in a lifetime experience in conjunction with precious lifelong friendships.

Third Place

Angela Sullivan ‘Party on the Lawn’

My love for bunting began during our years as an expat, when I found comfort in creating beauty through simple things.

With three beautiful children, including one with severe autism, I wanted our home to feel joyful, no matter where we were. I began filling our home with colour and warmth – bunting in every room, for every occasion: birthdays, Christmas, Easter and even Australia Day, when we proudly hung mini Aussie flags outside. It was my way of bringing happiness into the everyday.

To me, bunting is more than decoration. It’s a symbol of family, celebration and love. Across the world – from backyard parties to carnivals – bunting brings people together. Whether made from fabric or ribbon, it marks life’s special moments, big and small, with joy and heart.

Patron’s Pick

Rebecca Share ‘Pigs Do Fly’

Millinery Australia’s Patron, renowned milliner Mr Stephen Jones OBE, selects his favourite Design Award entry each year from the Top 10 finalists.

The honour for 2025 went to Rebecca Share for her whimsical celebration ‘Pigs Do Fly’.

Photographer’s Pic

Julia Watson ‘A Piece of Cake’

Cakes are a universal symbol of celebration, representing joy, happiness and unity and are commonly associated with special occasions like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and holidays.

As this is the 10th year of our Design Award competition, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate this successful milestone with a cake that can be shared amongst the millinery community to bring unity and good fortune to all.

The round shape of the cake is symbolic of the continuous journey of life and the cyclical nature of time.

People’s Choice

Sue Younis ‘It’s All You Need’

This headpiece is a joyful tribute to the LGBTQIA+ community; a celebration of love, life, respect and vibrant self-expression. Inspired by the experiences of my close family and friends, it honours their courage, joy and the beauty of being seen and accepted.

The arc shape of the block initially guided my design, inspiring a textured abstract nod to the rainbow Pride flag; a symbol of diversity and inclusion. The bursts of textured fibres suggest fireworks and music, echoing the energy of Mardi Gras and Pride parades.

The sculptural word “LOVE” crowns the piece, capturing the essence of what we are celebrating; the freedom to love and be loved, exactly as we are. This one is deeply personal. A wearable work of art that says loudly and proudly love is love. And in the words of my favourite philosophers/musicians …IT’S ALL WE NEED”.

Alison Morgan Award

Jo Peterson ‘Four Seasons in One Day’

I love Melbourne. I love its food. I love its coffee. I love the footy. But most of all, I love its weather – yes, rain and all.

At the heart of my design is a stylized, origami-inspired umbrella. Its brim features a gradient of colours, a heat map of sorts (created in an excel spreadsheet) that captures Melbourne’s daily maximum temperatures over the past year. Cool blues transition into warm yellows and fiery reds, tracing winter’s chill into the heat of summer.

Along the umbrella’s edge, black crystals are scattered like raindrops – each one marking a day of rainfall in the city – a gentle reminder of when a brolly might have come in handy!

“Four Seasons in One Day” is my celebration of Melbourne’s famously fickle weather. Unpredictable, dramatic and uniquely beloved.

Fiona Cooper ‘Red Balloon’

In moments of celebration, joy can feel weightless – sudden, bright and fleeting. Red Balloon captures that feeling: a simple, bold symbol of happiness taking flight.

The colour red evokes passion, excitement and love – emotions that fill the air during meaningful celebrations. Balloons mark life’s joyful moments across cultures and ages. But they don’t last – they float away, burst or deflate – reminding us that even the most vibrant moments are temporary.

With this piece, I wanted to explore the contrast between the thrill of celebration and its fleeting nature. The red balloon becomes more than decoration; it is a metaphor for memory, release and the beauty of letting go. It floats above us – light, alive and gone too soon.

Harri Harrison ‘Cherry Bomb’

The inspiration for my piece came from experiencing Chinese New Year celebrations in Melbourne’s China town. The colours – red and gold for luck, the fans, fireworks exploding and lighting up the sky.

As legend has it these chase away the monster Nian who comes at the end of every year, with loud noises and bright colours scaring him away and bringing good fortune for the coming year.

I constructed the flower trims to evoke the shapes, colour, brightness and sparkle of fireworks with beads at the side echoing the sparks falling down.

Joanne Cooke ‘Elaine – Celebration of Learning’

At the end of each year, students and teachers across Australia, celebrate the year’s achievements, especially at the completion of Year 12 where students graduate and head off into the world.

The 13 circles creating the brim, depict kindergarten to Year 12, each one bigger than the last, representing growth in knowledge and physicality. Each circle is linked to another, symbolising knowledge and friendships carried forward to the next year.

Each circle is wrapped in bright textured wool, reflective of the bright cultural diversity in Australian schools today. The colours also represent ‘House Teams’, where students celebrate achievements across various areas like academics, sports, arts and a sense of belonging.

This piece celebrates my love of learning and my lifelong school friendships.

Sarah Mensforth ‘I’ll Have Another’

It’s the night of the premiere – the buzz, the flashbulbs, the glamour. Marilyn Monroe has just arrived on the arm of Joe DiMaggio for the debut of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. As reporters call for one last photo, she pauses, turns to Joe and says, “Oh Joe, be a darling and hold my drink…and fetch me another. I’m simply parched.”

This piece captures that fleeting moment – a gloved hand offering an almost empty champagne flute – poised, playful and effortlessly iconic.

It’s a celebration of vintage Hollywood glamour, feminine charm and the theatre of stardom.

Tammy Gill ‘Til It’s Done’

Til It’s Done is the Matilda’s campaign : We’re not done til it’s done.

The game that captured our nation in 2023 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup was Australia vs England. It dominated our screens inspiring the hearts and minds of people of all ages. It especially inspired young women who proudly represent their country in the famous green and gold. The success of the Para Matilda’s in 2024 is empowering being the first ever football team to win a world cup for Australia! The success of women’s football is an
opportunity for all Australians to celebrate.

The crown of the hat uses the geometric form of the soccer ball and the brim is a series of radial lines representing the ball in motion scoring those winning goals!

Mary McCann ‘Canvas of Celebration’

Every day is a gift, a fresh canvas waiting for your unique touch. Embrace and celebrate your creativity, let your ideas flow freely and fill the world with your creative gifts and colours. You are a masterpiece in the making-so dream boldly, create fearlessly and shine brightly. Life is not just about existing, it is about expressing, growing and inspiring! Make every day a red-letter day filled with joy, passion and endless possibilities.

My desire to create a sophisticated statement piece is embodied in my design, which is bold and versatile. It includes Houndstooth, my favourite textile pattern, and shade of red. Flower firework bursts, which complement the design, symbolise celebration, joy and excitement, while flowers represent growth beauty and life.

Catherine Storm ‘Marquee’

“Celebrate with me under the marquee. Let’s dance the night away.”

While attending a special celebration with friends, our beautiful venue inspired this piece. The elegant marquee, with its curved ceiling covered in twinkling fairy lights, was a magical place to get together and party the night away.

Marquee’s geometric design was drafted firstly on paper and then a 3D cardboard model was created and used as a pattern. It then came to life with Starbright Swiss braid wrapped millinery wire and metallic thread crinoline.

Kathryn Campbell ‘Sparks Fly’

During moments of ‘Celebration’, we often envisage fireworks….literally, figuratively and imaginatively.

This piece depicts the explosion of fireworks rising from the dark night sky, through hues of gold transforming into the white light and ending in a spark of colour, before falling away to nothing.

The circlet of fireworks frames the golden top hat, covered in sequins to reflect the changing night sky, as sparks of celebration take over our momentary vision of enjoyment.

Sandy Aslett ‘A Celebration of Light in Motion’

This piece celebrates the ever-changing dance of light – how it moves across fabric, glints off metallic rainbow and lurex sinamay and shimmers in memory.

The hat base was hand-blocked by me using a custom wire block I designed and built myself. It reflects my deep connection to traditional millinery craft and innovation.

Inspired by the joy of shared moments, the hat features layered holographic butterflies and florals in flight, symbolising celebration as a living, moving force. The sweeping rainbow sinamay reflects half the night skies filled with fireworks, glittering parties or the elegance of a gala. It’s an ode to the radiance we carry into special occasions, both grand and quiet and the creative spark that brings them to life.

Bronwyn Shooks ‘A Celebration of Nature’

‘A Celebration of Nature’ reflects on the Romantic Movement’s interest in the beauty and power of the natural world. The movement regarded nature as a source of inspiration and emotional connection, contrasting it with the constraints of industrialization and urban life.

The Japanese tradition of Hanami also invites us to appreciate the beauty and transience of life through the viewing of cherry blossom.

In this current age of AI technology and late-stage capitalism, celebrating and being connected to the natural world and its underlying message of beauty and impermanence is more important than ever. And what better way to celebrate than with cherry blossom; nature’s version of confetti.

Mary Mohr ‘Here Comes the Bride’

The ultimate family celebration is that of a wedding. This, along with some beautiful fabrics acquired at a Wendy Makin Bridal Designs workroom sale, inspired me to create a cocktail hat for the modern bride.

A favourite Boon & Lane hat block was used to create a shape to feature a side band of silk satin bias pleats, topped with a crown covered with stunning guipure lace with sequins which give off just the right amount of sparkle. The puff of veiling adds a touch of tradition to a modern headpiece as does the pale blue lining for the ‘Something Blue’!

Robynne Dowd ‘Vivid’

Celebration lives in my memory – standing with my grandmother watching the construction of the Opera House and then seeing it emerge. Those visits shaped my understanding of the joy of creation.

My hat “Vivid” honours this legacy. The sculptured curves mirror Utzon’s visionary shells, while the vibrant interplay of hues reflect the projections that animate them. Each stitch carries childhood wonder of the magic of concrete becoming art and blossom into a lifetime of celebrations.

This millinery piece not only transforms personal memory into celebration, but conveys excitement, just as the Opera House evokes feeling and atmosphere, transforms light and design and then becomes a canvas for shared experiences for both national and international events.

Millinery, like architecture, turns moments of wonder into tangible objects.

Chris Mullane ‘Hanami’

Hanami is the traditional Japanese practice of celebrating cherry blossom season, where people gather together for picnics under the cherry trees to appreciate the fleeting beauty and enjoy being showered with pink petals.

The brim block that I custom made, reflects the silhouette of the petal, which is blocked in sinamay to signify the lightness and delicacy of the cherry blossoms.

Procyon dye has been used to hand paint the petals onto the brim, further enhanced with 3D dyed silk flowers to capture the movement of the falling petals which act as a reminder to appreciate the transient moments in life.

Sue Cummuskey ‘It’s a…’

My celebration piece is titled “It’s a…” being reference to it’s a boy or it’s a girl.

I consider the birth of a child to be a universal celebration which we all anticipate eagerly.

My Design Award piece is styled on a vintage baby’s bonnet. I have used different fabrics – all leftovers from other projects. I imagined the vintage bonnet to be hand made from the off cuts of precious garments such as wedding gowns. Blue and pink beading is my reference to the modern day “gender reveal”. Looking at one side, it’s a boy and the other it’s a girl, hence my title “It’s a …”

Delphine Nicholson ‘Celebration of the Season’

My aim was to use what I already have in my vast collection of “stuff”. Re-use, re-purpose, re-visit.

After opening every cupboard and drawer I just couldn’t go past my beautiful silk collection. I have so many shades of autumn tones I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. A celebration of the season using scraps!

I love the lustre and texture silk gives and using different techniques have added more dimension and texture. I wanted the silk to bloom,from the ice-dyed stamens to the fallen leaves and the randomly made flowers and twisted rouleau gnarled vine.

Lauren Ritchie ‘Fireworks’

We don’t have fireworks without reason – they mark a celebration! Whether it’s the beginning of a new year, a milestone reached or a moment of collective joy, fireworks signify something worth remembering. This headpiece draws its inspiration from a firework bursting into life in the night sky.

In this design, the gold firework element represents that pivotal spark of transformation. Carefully stitched lines radiate outward like the streaks of a firework mid-explosion, with metallic beads capturing the energy and shimmer of celebration. The tails of the firework stretch across a clear night sky, each one tipped with a glittering detail to evoke the fleeting, magical sparkle of fireworks at their peak.

Irene Moore ‘The Milestone Crown’

Ten years ago, I began my millinery journey, unaware of how deeply it would shape my life. Now, a decade later, I celebrate the growth, joy and lessons that came with crafting hats. But one thing still lingers: I never wore a graduation cap (Mortarboard).

When I finished my studies, I missed that symbolic moment. So now, I’m designing my own – a graduation hat to celebrate both my academic achievement and my identity as a milliner.

It won’t be ordinary. It will celebrate my craftsmanship, my creativity and my story. I’ve even stitched a copy of my Certificate IV into the design, a way to celebrate my past and bring it into the present. This piece honours where I’ve been and celebrates how far I’ve come.

Leteisha Knecht ‘Shine Through the Light’

My Inspiration for this year’s Design Award comes from the stain glass ceiling as you enter the great hall at the NGV gallery in Melbourne.

I wanted to create a piece that celebrates the Arts and Millinery by creating something unique. Representing that colourful ceiling into a piece of millinery and when you shine it into the light it creates a shine of colours beaming through, taking your mind into a world of endless imagination of creativity by looking up at the colourful stain glass ceiling in awe.

Rose Hudson ‘Celebrating Rhena Gates – A Lucas Girl’

This hat celebrates Rhena Gates, one of the famed Lucas girls of Ballarat. The Lucas factory was known for its high quality garments, in fact, the Prince of Wales was presented with a pair of silk pyjamas when he visited the factory during a trip to Australia in 1920.

Rhena’s grand-daughter, Alison, entrusted me with the important task of creating a hat from her grandmother’s printed silk velvet she had carefully stored for decades, saying she did not dare make anything from it, because it was ‘too beautiful to use.’ But she changed her mind. Intending now to pass this hat to her daughter Eleanor.

Rhena’s story and Alison’s story will be remembered and celebrated by future generations of the Morgan family.

Elena Kornienko ‘Rose Gin Fizz’

The Rose Gin Fizz hat is a tribute to stillness and renewal, inspired by Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, which I experienced firsthand. On this sacred day, the island embraces quiet reflection – no lights, no sound, only inner peace. This creation channels that tranquillity through symbolism and delicate artistry.

At its heart, a pink silk rose unfurls, embodying love, tenderness and transformation. Surrounding it, a lime-hued crown pays homage to ritual purity, mirroring fresh temple offerings. The vivid green evokes cleansing energy, contrasting beautifully with the blush tones.

Scattered rose and translucent lime beads glisten like morning dew, whispering of prayer beads and fallen petals. More than a fashion statement, this piece is a meditation on quiet grace, renewal and the beauty of contemplation.

Karen Livingston ‘CCC – Cascade Celebratory Cake’

When I asked the question to family and friends “What comes to mind when you think of the word Celebration”? the majority of answers were ‘fireworks, streamers, confetti etc.’ When I asked my other half, he said “cake!”

And he is right! Whether it is birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, weddings, hootenannies, baby showers, high teas or you just want to celebrate yourself… there is always cake!

This is my interpretation of a drizzle cake, with 100’s and 1,000’s and buttercream iced flowers.

Rachael Hart ‘Who Will Look for My Shadow?’

My Grandfather always wore a hat. I thought he was the fanciest man in the world! His silhouette shadowed a crooked stance, with a tilted Stetson Bantam. It is this comfortable silhouette that I look for when designing hats.

This year as I reflect and celebrate 20 years as a milliner, I have created a piece in which I see represents where I began and the hats of this era. A hat in which I would see my own silhouette and the hope that I could create that whimsical feeling of wearing my grandfather’s shadow.

Karin Goodman ‘Bursts of Fireworks’

This quirky top hat depicts explosions of multicoloured fireworks against a starry night sky.

I chose lace with lots of little knots to depict a starry sky. The black body of the hat is the sky with some shadowy vegetation on the brim silhouetted against the horizon. All of this is lit up by dazzling bursts of colour contrasting sharply with the dark “sky”. The vivid, vibrant hues of the fireworks explosion illuminate the night creating drama, inspiring and igniting joy.

Fireworks are pure CELEBRATION and remind us that even the darkest nights can be filled with beauty and bursts of light, colour and joyfulness.

Alana English ‘Bursts of Illumination’

The first image that comes to me when contemplating the word ‘celebration’ is an explosion of colour in particular fireworks.

I have designed my piece using the colours and radiating illumination we see when looking skyward every New Year’s Eve at midnight in the city of Sydney.

Oksana Caretti ‘Say it with Flowers’

People have long celebrated special occasions with flowers, using them as symbols of love, joy and remembrance. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, anniversary or graduation, flowers are often given to express heartfelt emotions and enhance the festive atmosphere.

“Say it with Flowers” speaks louder than words.

Christine Martin ‘Fireworks’

Celebration can be interpreted in many ways from personal achievements to community events and more.

I have always been drawn to the New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Sydney and hope to one day see them in person. I have created my version of them by binding the wire roughly to give the impression of a steel bridge with feathers imitating the fireworks and the veiling giving the cascade effect of the falling glittering fireworks curtain.

Rachael Henson ‘Say it with Flowers’

What better way of interpreting this year’s Millinery Design Award than with a bouquet of flowers? Appropriate for any celebration, weddings, special occasions, celebrations of life or ‘just because’.

Celebrating traditional materials and using what already exists, or up-cycling into a new life.

Celebrating making an attractive hat, not constrained by anything other than imagination.

Celebrating millinery associations that continue through challenging times and offer such opportunities to members. Celebrating making a hat.

Lisa Watt ‘Entwine’

My entry, ‘entwine’, celebrates my first hat block. A simple beret shape that has become a much-loved and well-used block in my collection.

Embracing the limitations of a simple shape, modest materials and traditional weaving techniques, I set about designing a vibrant tribute to the joy of making and not ‘over thinking’ the creative process. Each carefully woven thread stands for resourcefulness, a flirtatious spirit and harmony.

I invite the observer or wearer to discover beauty in simplicity and design constraint.

entwine // to twist or wind together elements so they become intricately connected and beautifully intermingled.

Anita Marshall ‘A Millinery Voyage’

Celebrating millinery history through the eyes of milliner and dressmaker, Rose Bertin and Marie Antoinette.

The 18th century was when fashion and millinery became more than a status symbol. The collaboration of these influential women allowed millinery to become a form of wearable political messaging and storytelling. In 1778. Marie Antoinette adorned a ship atop her famous “pouf” hairstyle to commemorate a victorious France after a successful battle at sea.

Today I take the ship and the Rocco style of the period as a symbol of inspiring possibilities. I celebrate the idea of creative freedom, embracing the unique and drawing from millinery’s history. I give you, ‘A Millinery Voyage’.

Christine Waring ‘A Birthday Party Hat’

A “celebration” has happy memories of my childhood birthday parties. When we all wore cardboard cone “Party Hats” in the brightest colours swirling around the cone, Held on by THAT elastic under the chin!

My entry is a nod to my childhood parties and a celebration of my millinery. Keeping me passionate and inspired.

My entry is a contemporary playful style of the traditional children’s party hat. Once believed ancient Egyptians wore as a festive form of dress.

Capturing the colourful theme, I have sewn glossy braids into a flat circle, hand moulded forming the pointed tip and conical shape, with a twist and wired to create a flare to sit on a inside cap. Crinoline wrapped and around to create swirls. Red balls represent balloons!