Interview with Milliner Bundle MacLaren | The Fabulous Times- Sustainable Living

I’m so thrilled to share with you an exclusive interview with Milliner Bundle MacLaren. Since launching her own millinery label in 2009 Bundle has designed twelve head pieces for the Royal Wedding and co- presented, with Paula Reed at Goodwood Festival. Her work has featured in Vogue, The Times, Easy Living, Brides Magazine and You & Your Wedding.

Bundle hailed from a traditional millinery background completing an apprenticeship with Gina Foster before going on to study millinery at Kensington & Chelsea College under Noel Stewart. Bundle loves manipulating feathers and fabrics to create stunning sculptural effects. If you’re like me and always struggle to find hats to suit you, Bundle can create specially commissioned hats that are individual and won’t blow your budget. Bundle prides herself on bridging the gap between high- end design and high- street price points, with prices ranging from £45- £185. All pieces are made by Bundle from her colourful Battersea Kitchen. Bundle has just launched her new Olympia collection, which is truly fabulous. I caught up with Bundle to talk hats, life and inspiration:

1. What or who first inspired you to become a Milliner? I spent a year working and travelling around Africa with my husband before we were married and I vowed to myself out there that when I returned I would never do a job I didn’t love or sit in front of a computer for 10 hours a day watching the clock. I wanted to do something creative which I could do from home whilst raising a family and millinery had always interested me, so I applied for an apprenticeship when I returned and never looked back.

Milliner Bundle MacLaren, Red hat, Hats, Affordable hats,Leah £64

Timeless Design- Leah £64

2. Who or what is your main inspiration? I get inspired by everything really to be honest. Colours and textures are often inspired by nature but silhouettes and angles are often inspired by sculpture and architecture.

Milliner Bundle MacLaren, Wedding, Hats, Affordable hats, Gallia £182

The stunning Galia £182

3. If you could give any tips/ advice/ pearls of wisdom to aspiring Milliners what would you say? Work for as many different milliners as you can to glean as much insight into different creative and technical processes as you can. And then just go for it and work your backside off!

4. Describe a typical day in your life. I wake at 6am and check my emails and orders and do some admin. Then my two little girls wake at around 7am and I spend the mornings with them playing in Battersea Park and seeing friends. I then work on hats from 12pm till 6pm and clients come throughout the day for fittings and copious cups of tea! Then after I’ve put my girls to bed at 7pm I work as late into the night as I need to meet orders! I love my life and I feel very lucky that I’ve found something that enables me to spend lots of time with my girls and still have a really challenging, creative and exciting career.

Milliner Bundle MacLaren, Wedding, Hats, Affordable hats,Tanya £88

Bright & Beautiful Tanya £88

5. As an independent creative business what is the hardest challenge that you face? I think the fact that I’m on my own. Every business and artistic decision sits with me and sometimes I’d really love to have someone else to share those decisions with. My husband is amazing and incredibly supportive but he’s a doctor and works incredibly hard and he doesn’t want to spend his evenings helping me decide which shade of vermillion goes best with which pheasant feather!

6. Who would you most like to see wearing one of your hats? Oooh…. there are so many people I’d love to have wear my hats. Paloma Faith really knows how to wear a hat and doesn’t look fully dressed if she’s not in one so she’s my goal at the moment!