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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
link