HatsOff BootsOn: Milliner and Shoemaker

Hi, I am Rositta Priestley. My creative business is HatsOff BootsOn. I am an innovative designer-maker milliner and shoemaker in London SE25.

I have been an avid upcycler all of my life. When I look at anything, rather than seeing what it is, I visualise how I could use it to shape a hat or boot. My inspiration comes from 1920s to 1950s and beyond, with my own unique and effervescent style coming through.

My millinery and shoemaking skills are combined with my passion for upcycling and many of my creations are blocked over discarded items. In this way I create the fabulous shapes that become my hats and shoes. I am passionate about projecting the message that upcycling has a vibrant role to play in the artistic work produced by designer-makers and specifically for the high-end market.

My millinery history: With a lifelong passion for making delicious hats, my clever little fingers have learned many stitches and developed their millinery articulations over the years! I now go where my inspiration takes me, to making dreamy hats, each with their own curious identity.

My shoemaking history: My first experience of shoemaking was many years ago in a gutsy corner of West Yorkshire where I made for myself a pair of ankle-pleasing boots. From that first inquisitive moment I was hooked on the glorious process of designing and making luxurious footwear. A shoemaker was born.

I run upcycle workshops in my local area and beyond under the banner of: “Upcycle Workshops in London by Rositta”. I am currently scheduling a series of workshops locally, to encourage people with their upcycle projects. My workshops cover: creative upcycling of your own clothes; upcycling your favourite hat or shoes.

Read Rositta’s article in the Autumn Issue 2018

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