Bite Autumn 2012

bite designer profile W ith a list of exclusive clients including actress Amanda Holden, TV star Tess Daly, international fashion designer Isabell Kristensen and pop goddess Andrea Hegard in her phonebook, milliner and hat designer DeDe Valentine is in demand. Her couture head gear has been described as ‘sculptural works of art’ and has already been commissioned by Tatler and featured in ItalianVogue . DeDe trained at the London College of Fashion, Wimbledon School of Art and Kensington & Chelsea College and has worked with London’s top couture milliners such as Kirsten Scott (former milliner to Karl Lagerfield), Noel Stewart ( milliner for Kylie Minogue, Keira Knightley and Beth Ditto) and Jane Smith (world renowned costume designer). She is now considered one of the hottest hat designers on the millinery scene. Since the launch of her label in 2008, DeDe has designed one-off luxury haute couture extravaganza and couture designer millinery for many clients. Her label is described as one of London’s hidden treasures and Quintessentially Asia Magazine hailed her as “high end luxury’s best kept secret.” With clients in London and internationally in Sydney, Monaco, Istanbul and Sweden, the label is known for being exclusive, total luxury, outrageous and quirky: “People come to me because they want the total ‘wow’ factor. They want something no one else has, be it a jewelled cello and music notes suspended in the air or a leather pleated Monet garden two feet up in the sky.” DeDe’s previous career as a psychologist with a doctorate in Behavioural Science has enabled her to use some unusual concepts in her current work. “I am enthralled by the complexity of how the human mind works. I love to take things apart to understand how all the constituent parts come together to create a whole. This is the essence of DeDeValentine millinery – a beautifully developed and constructed piece where all the constituent parts technically and creatively form the most exquisite whole, reflecting the total essence of the person in complimentary 3D design.” A creative family background in opera, theatre production, painting, writing for TV and fashion modelling encouraged DeDe to seek her own creativity.“My own creative interests in fashion accessories ran alongside a mainstream career up until my wedding in 2004, when the lid on Pandora’s creative box was opened and I could not get it back on.” Although she described London’s fashion as ‘eclectic, quirky and elegant’, DeDe prefers the concept of style. “Style means more to me. Style has its foundation in a person’s perception of their personal, emotional and intellectual self. I work from the premise that I am reflecting and augmenting a person’s style in my millinery designs. To achieve this I am intimately involved with each client

at each stage of the in-house design and making process, from initial consultation to final tailoring. The millinery comes first but I also furnish a whole style statement with wardrobe advice, sourced accessories, make-up and hair and cosmetic styling specific to the individual and the occasion the hat is for, be it Royal Ascot or last year’s Royal wedding in Monaco. It’s about that ‘bespoke look’, special to that client and only that client.” There is no doubt that DeDe is very passionate about her work and what matters most to her as a millinery designer: “ Designing and creating the perfect ‘ bespoke look’ for each client. For me, it is important to leave time for research and development and to continually source new materials and develop ways to use them in millinery designs. It is also vital to develop new technical methods to achieve looks that no one else has. For example, I develop and design all the shapes, hand sculptured forms, gravity-defying structures, and trims and embellished fabrics in-house, so that every element of a client’s look is exclusive to DeDeValentine.” With full creative control of her own time and label, DeDe believes that, “There is something very special about being in my studio late at night. There is no one else around, the London evening has settled on the city and I am working with a new material, never intended to be used for millinery, and yet from it, I am creating a new millinery medium.” Her design trademark is a fusion of classic craftsmanship and quirky aesthetic. “Each piece is intended to be a sculptural work of art. Attention to detail is paramount. There is no room for anything other than perfection. Millinery is a very powerful medium and I have a responsibility as a designer to continually explore new ways to use this medium for my clients.” In DeDe’s studio, depending on the complexity and materials being used, the construction of a design can take from five days to two weeks once the creative and technical development is completed. “The whole design and making process with fittings can take up to six weeks and often longer when I am working in conjunction with the clothes designer.” According to DeDe, a beautifully developed and constructed piece where all the constituent parts technically and creatively form the most exquisite whole, reflecting the total essence of the person in complimentary 3 D design, is what makes a quality hat. She is captivated by architecture and the gravity-defying sculptures of buildings. “ I love the gravity-defying nature of ‘The Shard’ by Piano or the ‘Burj Khalifa’ by Smith, Strabala and Efstathiou. The height, the magnificence and the presence of these structures exemplify my own design signature, which I then cheekily overlay with wit and lavish detail.” DeDe’s favourite models are her clients. “ I like their boldness for life and confidence

in their own personal sense of style. They inspire me to proactively and fearlessly set bold new millinery trends.” Through this concept, DeDe has risen to the top of the millinery game and has been commissioned by Tatler to make unique pieces for their photo shoots, shows at both the London Ritz and Paris Ritz, featured on Vogue Italia.it, Vogue.com and British Vogue.com as well as a wide range of magazines and broadsheets. She has also been named as one of Royal Ascot’s iconic milliners in James Sherwood’s definitive new book on ‘ Royal Ascot Fashion and Style’, had her designs listed on Anna Della Russo’s favourite millinery list and designed the headdress for Isabell Kristensen, who attended the civil ceremony for HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco last year as one of her maids of honour. Most recently, DeDe served as one of the international judges at the International Hat competition in Monaco alongside Jimmy Choo and Suzy Amis Cameron. DeDe adores both sketching and constructing designs and believes that the design process includes sketching and technical development. “The technical possibilities feed into new sketch designs and similarly, new sketch designs force you to push the boundaries of technical possibilities if you want to be able to create what you see on paper. So that design time is crucial and exciting. The actual construction has another focus. Now it is about exceptional product development – the focus is on perfect craftsmanship and detail in actually creating the piece. It brings together all the values I have around exceptional client service, exceptional craftsmanship and total attention to detail.” Researching and sketching is also part of DeDe’s preparation for a fashion shoot or show.“The key to a cohesive collection or show is deciding on the underpinning theme and then immersing yourself in research around that theme. I fill copious number of picture books with related information and then when I have exhausted the area, I start to sketch. At the same time, I start to think about what technical developments will be necessary to support this theme; so I have the technical and creative sketching developments running parallel. For me, this is a must. All my collections and shows are informed by a symbiotic relationship between the technical and creative.” For aspiring milliners, DeDe has sound advice: “Have a strong and distinctive design signature. Know the market group that matches your signature. Keep on learning,keep training in related and diverse areas and keep experimenting. Never stop pushing the boundaries. Believe in your work.” Having accomplished a successful business in millinery and achievements in commissions, what is DeDe’s future goal? “ To win the Turner Prize; watch this space! www.dedevalentine.com