Artisan focus: H'atelier, Manchester UK

When i was in Manchester at the end of June, I had the opportunity to visit h'atelier, the boutique studio of resident milliner Jen Scott Russell. She works entirely in one-of-a-kind and bespoke hats--her studio is full of handmade hat designs displayed in a fun but elegant atmosphere. 

What I particularly loved about the retail space was the shared presence of her workspace--customers and browsers are in this way afforded a view of her hats in progress, the blocks all stacked into cube shelves, the trimmings and feather boxes, the blocking station, and so forth. This is a savvy move, i think, in that people want to see what goes into the making of a hat--they don't appear fully formed from some millinery egg, and they aren't just flung together with spit and hot glue (or at least, not at the level of quality that h'atelier produces). By giving her clients the option to observe her artistry and artisanship, Ms. Scott Russell provides a lagniappe to the standard millinery experience.

I took several shots of the shop and workspace which are included below, and should you find yourself in Manchester, h'atelier is a millinery must-see!

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