More Than Just a Hat

A while ago, I designed this black and white Chanel-style hat.

Although I usually call it a hat-cap.

Why?

Because the crown is shaped like a baseball cap, making it surprisingly comfortable to wear and easy to pack in a suitcase. Perfect for travelling.

The brim, however, is pure elegance.

Luxurious silk.

Classic black and white.

Beautiful lining.

Just enough decoration to give it that unmistakable Chanel-inspired feeling.

I still have the hat today.

It is in excellent condition because it has only been worn during photoshoots.

Then Came the Dress...

Of course, a beautiful hat deserves a beautiful outfit.

There was only one small problem.

Time.

I had a deadline.

So instead of creating an elaborate historical gown with weeks of embroidery and hand sewing, I decided to make something much simpler.

A long jersey dress.

With a very high split.

Now, before you think that split was only for glamour...

Let me tell you a little secret from my years as a model.

A high split makes your legs look longer.

It changes your posture.

It creates movement.

Sometimes the smallest design choice makes the biggest difference in a photograph.

That is exactly the kind of knowledge I quietly carry with me every time I design a costume.

The dress itself was not Haute Couture.

It wasn't meant to be.

It was made to photograph beautifully.

And sometimes...

That is exactly what a garment should do.

Black and White Magic

Luckily, I had found a wonderful printed jersey fabric.

The print looked quite busy in colour.

But I already knew it would become something completely different in black and white photography.

Experience teaches you little tricks like that.

As a model, you begin to understand how fabrics react to light.

How movement changes a silhouette.

How certain textures almost come alive through a camera lens.

Those lessons have become part of my work as a costume maker too.

One Fabulous Factory

The photographer and I spent an entire day in an abandoned potato starch factory in Ter Apel.

What an incredible place.

Broken windows.

Rusting steel.

Peeling walls.

Graffiti everywhere.

It was rough.

Industrial.

Completely worn down by time.

And there I was...

Trying to walk gracefully in extremely high heels while carefully avoiding broken glass and all sorts of things I definitely did not want to step on.

Being a model is sometimes less glamorous than people imagine.

Fortunately, we laughed a lot that day.

And every careful step turned into another photograph.

The contrast between the elegant outfit and the abandoned factory turned out to be exactly what we had hoped for.

Sometimes opposites really do attract.

Then Came the Surprise

Several weeks later, I uploaded two photographs from the shoot to my Flickr portfolio.

Then something wonderful happened.

Both photographs were selected for Explore, Flickr's famous Front Page.

If you know Flickr, you know how special that is!

Millions of photographs are uploaded there.

Many are made by highly skilled professional photographers.

Having one image selected is already an honour.

Two images from the same shoot felt almost unbelievable.

And the story became even better.

This very hat had already appeared in another award-winning black and white portrait a week earlier.

Then, two years later...

It happened again.

I uploaded a newly edited version with a different background.

And...

Bingo.

Another successful image.

Apparently this hat enjoys being in front of a camera just as much as I do.

What Makes a Great Photograph?

People sometimes ask why certain costume photographs work so well.

Of course, a talented photographer makes a huge difference.

A beautiful location helps too.

Good light is priceless.

But I also believe something else.

After many years of modelling, I have learned what works in front of a camera.

How to stand.

How to move.

How a sleeve should fall.

Where a train should be placed.

How a hat changes the balance of a portrait.

That knowledge quietly influences every costume I design.

Because making a costume is only part of the story.

Helping it come alive in a photograph is the other half.

More Than a Memory

A beautiful photograph is never just a photograph.

Years later, it becomes a memory.

A reminder of a wonderful day.

A piece of your personal history.

Sometimes even your calling card to the world.

And that is exactly why I love creating hats and costumes.

Whether it is an elaborate historical gown or a simple jersey dress, every design deserves its moment in front of the camera.

Sometimes all you really need is a well-made hat.

A dress that moves beautifully.

A photographer with a good eye.

And perhaps...

A little experience from someone who has stood on both sides of the creative process.

Designing.

And modelling.

That is a combination I am always happy to share with my clients.