Daily Inspiration: Meet Robbie Whyte

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robbie Whyte.

Hi Robbie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started sewing as a small child making my doll’s clothes. By middle school I was designing and making many of my own clothes. I learned hand sewing, machine sewing and the basics of knitting from my mother. At about age five I asked to visit my great aunt to learn embroidery. She made exquisite velvet crazy quilts and I wanted to learn her techniques. Her beautiful quilt hangs in my studio for inspiration.

I have always loved and collected unusual hats. I bought my first piece of fine millinery from a shop in the Garden District in New Orleans. I was just out of school, living on a very meager budget, and this hat was a splurge! I didn’t care, I had to have it! The shop’s milliner had beautiful hats blocked to her specifications in the Garment District of NYC, which she finished with beautiful handmade trims. I was wearing my hat when I walked into I. J. Herman’s shop, on 25th Street in NYC. He stopped me and said, “I blocked that hat!” It is a beautiful black rabbit fur felt, trimmed with iridescent black cock feathers. We began to chat and Mr. Herman agreed to block hats for me, and I began trimming and selling hats. I walked around SoHo with 5 hat boxes filled with hats and took orders. With that business model, I basically financed 3-4 visits to NYC each year. My most significant income was my growing love and knowledge of millinery.

In the mid 1980’s my best friend, David Kerner and I created fantastic, crazy Halloween costumes. Each year we entered contests and won trips all over the world. In 1988 we opened our graphic design firm with money we won in a costume contest. We both had a background in architecture, so our business specialized in the 3-dimensional field of signage and environmental graphics. That business continued for 38 years, I also raised a family, so selling hats fell by the waist side. However, I never stopped making and collecting them. My collection is enormous!

Over the years I began taking workshops to learn the techniques of fine millinery. I now make my hats from scratch using fine materials and old-world techniques. I retired from graphic design last spring and have launched “Edge Modern Millinery & Fine Couture”. I make and sell one-of-a-kind wearable head sculptures. I have a selection of ready-to-wear couture hats. I also take commissions for unique creations.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Learning the art of millinery has been pure joy. I am a natural designer and my graphics career focused on 3-dimensional designs. My ability to visualize in 3D along with my love of hand sewing and fashion have provided a natural transition into the world of millinery. I believe that my hats speak for themselves. I literally meet a new person daily as they stop me to comment on my hat.

As my millinery journey transitions from a creator and wearer of hats, to a seller of hats, my challenge will be to find my clients. My hats are fine works of art, and I know that my customers are a a select few who want to invest in a truly unique hat.

I am just finishing my website. My upcoming goal is to create my online presence.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Through the internet, mass produced hats are more available than ever, This availability brings hat wearing to all price points and gives most people the opportunity to own a pretty hat.

While I love this development, my hats fit into a different category. Fine millinery is a disappearing art. My hats are all one-of-a-kind and made by hand. This distinction means that each hat takes days to design and construct. Each hat has its own personality. Not everyone can appreciate or afford this distinction. My goal is to find my few customers and to create a wearable head sculpture that speaks to them.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was very independent and artistic. I painted and drew, but sewing and needlework were always my favorite mediums. I also played sports and loved nature and camping.

I grew up in an upper middle class family in the 60’s & 70’s. In my sheltered world, there was a strong sense of, “how things should be done”. However, my artistic side was nourished, even when it meant breaking with tradition. Instead of staying within the conventional box, to which my older sister was always expected to conform, I was allowed to make my own box. I think this difference in expectations made my teenage years seem much less rebellious than my sister’s. I always had the feeling that my parents just didn’t quite know how to mold me, so I had the freedom to mold myself.

Both of my parents had artistic talents. My mother was a traditional a housewife, whose main job was to raise well mannered and accomplished daughters, to be a loving wife and create a beautiful home. She was excellent at this career and worshipped by our father. After her girls moved out, she had more time for her own pursuits. She learned Ikebana style flower arranging and became quite accomplished. My father’s art was his garden. He created an oasis of natural beauty that featured ponds, streams, paths and natural looking vegetation. I’m sure that my exposure to their talents helped me to tap into my own.

Pricing:

• My hats are not mass produced, therefore my pricing is in-line with an original work of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.edgemodernmillinery.com

Image Credits
Photos 1-7: David Parham Photos 8 -9: Anais Ducasse Photo 10: Robbie Whyte