Broome milliner expands her range
After three months of learning from internationally renowned milliner Noel Stewart in London, Susan Rush has returned to Broome to launch a new collection and continue her aim of making 1000 hats.
Ms Rush was awarded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to undertake a millinery internship in England with Mr Stewart, whose work has appeared in US Vogue magazine.
She said the experience was invaluable and she had found a new passion to create on her return to Australia.
"It's been a whirlwind trip - it would have taken years to learn what I have learnt in the last three months," Ms Rush said.
"Noel was the perfect person to do an internship with - he is really established and has hats in department stores all over the world."
Highlights of the trip included attending the London and Paris Fashion Weeks, and Ms Rush saw one of the hats she worked on worn by renowned American pop star Lady Gaga in a recent interview. Armed with a host of new and rare materials from her adventure in Europe, the Broome milliner has launched her third collection, aptly named Head Garden.
Her inspiration to start millinery was to make 1000 hats, and she is quickly approaching the 300 mark.
"The collection explores an energetic palette and the notion of transforming two-dimensional fabric into three-dimensional textured surfaces across an array of shapes," Ms Rush said.
In the short term, she is looking for a new studio to expand her range of hats and focus on a new range of casual wear.
In the long run, a pop-up hat tour of Australia is in the pipeline to showcase her work.
"There is a lot happening in Australian fashion and I am so excited to be back in Broome," Ms Rush said.
"I have the space here to create, unlike in other places, and it is such as inspiring place."
For more information on Ms Rush and her new collection, visit www.onethousandhats. tumblr.com.
