Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/361673
"Hats can be very sexy, but tHey're never crass. tHey don't bring attention to a woman's bust or waist, but up to Her face." —holly payne-strange PhotograPhy by Samir huSSein/Wireimage (middleton); Seth olenick (Payne-Strange) Lace, buttons, and feathers, egad! The North Shore's preeminent milliner, Holly Payne-Strange, started making fascinators after being seduced by the haberdashery department at Liberty's of London during a visit to her native country in 2010. Since then, she's been hard at work sewing and trimming at her home in Nahant, where she fulfills custom orders for events such as weddings and Myopia Polo Club's fall games. In September she will launch her fall collection at Petrune in NYC, Firas Yousef Originals in Boston, and Arabella Lingerie in Marblehead. Here, Payne-Strange talks to Boston Common about her custom design process and the subtle sexiness of hats. What was the inspiration for starting your company? I find hats to be unique items, in that they make a woman look beautiful but they do not make her look like an object. Hats can be very sexy, but they're never crass. They don't bring attention to a woman's bust or waist; they bring it up to her face. You don't have to go on a diet— they are beautiful and don't require a woman to change anything about herself. What does a custom order entail? Since all my hats are different, I can work with any budget. If time is not an issue, I offer a complimentary Champagne consultation to discuss what clients are looking for. They often bring me a dress, pair of shoes, or something that they would like the hat to go with. I like to know what color they'll be wearing and what type of event it is. I do a bridal party range and one for wedding guests as well. How do you source your unique materials? I try to use a vintage item on each hat; I have a collection of pieces that I've gathered from all over. My grandmother has given me her lace and button box, and these items fre- quently appear on my hats. If I'm going for a contemporary look, I use Swarovski beads. I hand-make my f lowers, too, so the client can give me her own fabric if she likes. What can your customers expect this fall? Fall is always a fun time for me because it means I get to work on Halloween-themed fascina- tors, and I can get incredibly creative. At the moment I am in the design phase of a mag- nificent piece that will be a large spider, encrusted with black beads and jewels, using luscious fabric like velvet to give it a very rich texture. I also have ambitious plans for the spider's web, which will be done in Swarovski crystal. Available at Liz Steinfeld, 59 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, 781- 631-1299; hollythehat.com BC Simply Fascinating British transplant Holly Payne-Strange mixes contemporary vision with vintage details in her fascinators. by jessica laniews i far left: Holly Payne-Strange often uses vintage materials in her creations. left: The Duchess of Cambridge (née Kate Middleton) brought fascinators into the limelight. 48 bostoncommon-magazine.com STYLE Local Treasure